A short video recently shared by a news agency, showing a citizen reporting the discovery of a piece of Persepolis column fragments among a heap of garbage, sparked conversations and prompted us to seek out details from the person who found the stone. The stone was located near Persepolis, and the finder had returned it to the management of the Persepolis World Heritage Site.
To gather more information, we spoke with Pezhman Ebrahimi, the stone’s finder, who is a skilled stonemason with a deep understanding of Persepolis and its surroundings. He shared with Amordad how he came upon the historical stone: “On Sizdah Bedar, I stayed home and didn’t go anywhere until later in the day, when a friend of mine asked me to join him on a trip to the Persepolis Road to meet some other friends. On our way back, I picked up some trash that had accumulated and put it in a plastic bag, planning to dispose of it later. While doing this, I noticed a pile of garbage a few steps away. I began cleaning it up and saw a piece of stone among the trash. I became curious and thought, ‘Could this be a piece of stone from Persepolis?’”
Ebrahimi went on to explain, “I approached the stone and inspected it. It was clearly carved and chiseled. I poured water into the indentations to wash away the dirt, and this made the carvings more visible. I even noticed the marks of a chisel—a specific tool used by Achaemenid stonemasons. I was certain it was a historical stone from Persepolis. I immediately contacted the protection unit and handed the stone over to them. I found it about one hundred meters from the main square in front of the Persepolis complex.”
The day after his initial discovery, Ebrahimi returned to the same spot, hoping to find any other pieces that might have been missed in the darkness. This time, he came across a piece of black stone, which, like the previous one, was made of the same carved material but lacked any engravings. He recalled that three years ago, he had found a similar stone and handed it over to the Persepolis protection team.
When asked why he thought the Persepolis stone had ended up there, Ebrahimi explained, “Historically, dating back to the Qajar period, that area used to be a road. Fragments of stones like this, which had been buried during road construction and leveling, become visible when the soil shifts or is flattened. As a stonemason familiar with the land around Persepolis, I was able to recognize that this stone came from there. However, most people passing by wouldn’t have realized its historical significance.”
Ebrahimi further suggested that this piece might have been part of the column at the Gate of the Nations in Persepolis, which could have broken off over time and scattered, eventually becoming buried under the soil. Occasionally, it reemerges due to changes in the earth’s surface.
No Stone Has Been Detached from Persepolis!
Fars News Agency shared the previously mentioned video and, following it, reached out to Sabet Aqlidi, the director-general of the Fars Province Cultural Heritage Department, for clarification about the found stone. Sabet Aqlidi explained: “The stone fragment shown in the video is indeed part of the Persepolis World Heritage Site. It was found on Farvardin 13, 1404 (April 2, 2025), in the area surrounding this ancient site by the individual seen in the clip, who then handed it over to the Cultural Heritage Protection Unit stationed at Persepolis.”
He went on to add: “No stone or fragment has been detached or fallen from Persepolis. The area between Persepolis and Naqsh-e Rostam is part of the ancient Pars city, which contains many surface and sub-surface archaeological remains. This fragment is one such artifact that gradually surfaced over time, was discovered, and retrieved by the finder. It is not the case that any piece of Persepolis has been separated.” (Fars News Agency – 15 Farvardin 1404).
