Gold Mines Closed to Protect Teymareh Rock Art

Two gold mines in the vicinity of Teymareh Petrogylphs in Khomein County, Markazi Province, have been closed down to protect the historical rock art from destruction.

Following a complaint from the provincial office of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, judicial authorities ordered the two mines on Monday to suspend activities until further notice.

"The ancient identity of the city must not be threatened for the sake of short-term economic goals," Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini, the head of the provincial ICHHTO, was quoted in a report on the provincial ICHHTO's website as saying.

So far, over 21,000 petroglyphs, dating back to 40,000 years, have been found in Teymareh region. However, Hosseini said around 7,000 petroglyphs have been damaged.

Aside from mining activities, acid rains, which have become more frequent, also threaten the relics.

Teymareh is one of the oldest places in Iran where traces of prehistoric humans were discovered. The oldest discovered engraved writings are sheltered by rocks and mountains.

In the 1970s, Italians studied the destructive effects of different elements on their stone monuments. Today, they use a chemical compound to prevent water penetration into the monuments. Nevertheless, ancient monuments in Iran receive no such attention.

Officials believe that the ancient monuments in Teymareh should be introduced to the public. People aware of the significance of the petroglyphs will apparently have more reason to protect the monuments.

The government, relevant bodies and NGOs have started taking strong measures against the destruction of Teymareh’s monuments.

"If designs of the petroglyphs are recorded and registered as a national brand, the rock art is more likely to survive," Behrouz Behzad, an environmental activist, said last year.

If the petroglyphs are neglected, an ancient and valuable past of Persian civilization will be lost.