Achaemenid-Era Discoveries in Fars Province Under Study

Excavations at Mashhad Morghab, Fars Province, have led to the discovery of multiple architectural and urban structures as well as relics dating back to the Mesolithic (20,000 BC–9,500 BC) and Neolithic (10,200 BC–2,000 BC) ages.

A 20-kilometer Achaemenid-era wall, around 300 graves belonging to historical eras, water management structures such as dams and 80 kilometers of water distribution canals, rock mines and residential areas of prehistoric, historical and Islamic ages were among the discoveries, according to a statement on the website of the Research Institute for Cultural Heritage and Tourism.

Located in Khorrambid County in Fars Province, Morghab Plain is less than 20 kilometers from Pasargadae—a world heritage site—and is in the proximity of other archeological sites, namely Kamin and Sarpaniran plains in Pasargad County.

Hamid Reza Karami, the head of the local archeological research team, said the area is of great archeological importance and "bears traces of ancient civilizations".

Remains from Achaemenid era such as dams, canals and mines are found within Morghab Plain stretching from Shahidabad Village in Khorrambid to Sivand Valley in the south of Pasargad and Kamin Plains.

The area is under exploration by a team of experts from RICHT and specialists from the Pasargadae management office who are studying and documenting the details of the discovered items.

The project involves data collection, drawing maps of structures, deriving the coordinates of sites, digging up earthenware, classification of buildings and relics by era, coordinating with owners of properties and preparing a map that displays the distribution of relics categorized under prehistoric, historical aand Islamic.

"So far, only the state properties of the ancient Achaemenid city have been discovered and little information is available about urban infrastructure and the lives of ordinary people around the royal quarters," said Karami.

"There are definitely many other significant traces in the region from this particular period as well as eras immediately preceding and succeeding it that are yet to be discovered."

Given the vast area under excavation, the project is expected to continue until at least March.