“The newly found relicts of the Ahvaz Parthian cemetery have not been harmed, and we are not indifferent to the concerns of cultural heritage lovers. Following the publication of a report in one of the official news agencies in the past few days and the words of one of the cultural heritage activists of Khuzestan in this report that the new works of Ahvaz were harmed due to negligence, deputy of Khuzestan Cultural Heritage Organization gave explanations to clarify this issue for public opinion.”
According to Ilna’s report and according to the public relations of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of Khuzestan, Ahmadreza Hosseini Borujeni, the Deputy of Cultural Heritage of Khuzestan, gave this statement: “Upon receiving the news of an accidental discovery of cultural/historical artifacts during operational activities of the agents of Karoon Oil and Gas Company, in Kurosh area (Mellat Block), Ahvaz, with inter-departmental coordination between the provincial cultural heritage deputy and the protection and safety unit, transparent news was published for public opinion, in the first few hours of the discovery.”
He continued: “In the days that followed, despite the intense heat and dust storm and repeated closures, a team of cultural and historical property experts and restorers of historic movable property, in coordination with experts from headquarters and with the overseeing management of the provincial deputy of cultural heritage, took necessary action for rescue, with respect to the pathology and presenting a restoration plan, according to up-to-date world methods, and even now, a research plan for rescue exploration has been created with the presence of archaeologist, osteologist, plant archaeologist, architect, restorer, etc.
Deputy of Khuzestan Cultural Heritage denied oxidation and disintegration of the objects due to lack of care, in the first 10 days since their discovery, and said: Some of the damages to the works were related to mechanical shovel operations and road construction tools at the site before discovery of the objects, construction operations were stopped in the discovery area, and with safety and protection management by Khuzestan Cultural Heritage officials, the relics have had no further damage.
He also denied not transferring the findings from the site due to lack of storage space and said: “Transfer of the objects needed the permit of Cultural Heritage Ministry. In this regard correspondence was initiated with the General Directorate of Museums and cultural/historical movable property, in order to obtain the permit to move and transfer the intact (cask shaped) graves and discovered objects to the restoration lab of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage of the province.”
Deputy of Khuzestan Cultural Heritage Organization thanked the cultural lovers of the province for their follow-up, and added: Undoubtedly, hasty, reckless, and emotional dealing with an area in danger will cause a great disaster and will cause irreparable damage to the body of cultural and historical works. Therefore, the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage of Khuzestan will take the initiative by intelligently managing and using the views of experts, trusting the experts of the province and the headquarters, and will start the rescue process in the coming week, upon receiving necessary funding.
It is worth reminding here, that on Tuesday, Tir 14, 1401, during an oil drilling operation, a historic tomb belonging to the Parthian period was found in one of the residence blocks, north of Ahvaz, on the eastern bank of Karoon River. In this cemetery, three burial sites have been found with pea-colored, clay, cask graves, covered with tar.
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