Discoveries from archeological excavations in Tehran will be exhibited at the National Museum of Iran for a month in celebration of the new Iranian year, or Norouz (starts March 20).
The event is scheduled for March 14 to April 13, ILNA reported.
“Since the discovery of the skeleton of a seven-millennia-old woman in Tehran’s Molavi neighborhood, the public’s view about the capital has changed and people have started showing interest in the history of Tehran,” said Rajabali Khosroabadi, head of the Tehran office of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization.
The overcrowded and expanding megapolis is rarely regarded as a holiday destination, especially since it only became relevant a little more than two centuries ago when Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar founded the Qajar Dynasty and moved the capital to Tehran.
In November 2014, Mahsa Vahabi, an archeology student, accidentally discovered ancient earthenware in a sewage trench dug by Tehran’s Water and Wastewater Company. The discovery garnered attention from the Iranian Center of Archeological Research, which formed a team with Vahabi to explore the site.
The excavation team soon found an exceptionally intact skeleton of a woman dating back 7,000 years. Further analyses in a variety of fields including anatomy, genetics, archaeology, and anthropology showed that the skeleton belonged to a middl- aged woman.
“Tehran has a rich but undiscovered history,” Khosroabadi said, adding that his office will lend support to archeologists seeking to uncover the capital’s past.
He called for the establishment of museums showcasing Tehran’s history, saying it is “essential to the cultural development of the city” and urged the Tehran City Council and municipality to cooperate with the ICHHTO to that end.
“By displaying ancient discoveries in Tehran on different occasions we aim to cultivate a sense of belonging to the city among its residents,” the official said.
The exhibition is organized jointly by the National Museum of Iran and the Social and Cultural Department of Tehran Municipality. It will showcase unearthed relics from sites in Tehran and its surroundings, including Qar-e Tappeh in Shahriar, Iraj Castle in Pishva, and Cheshm-e Ali Hill in Shahr-e-Rey.
