Achaemenid stone mine identified in Pasargad plain

The Public Relations Office of the Research Institute of Cultural Heritage and Tourism (RICHT) quoted head of the archeological excavation team in the city of Pasargad, Farhad Zarei Kurdshouli as saying that among the discoveries reference can be made to two mines of white travertine calcareous stones in the Diamond Mountain and the sand stone mines known as Abulverdi.

“Although the Almas Bori (diamond cutting) mine in the past had been identified by the archeologists, who had operated in Pasargad and the Persepolis areas, no report has yet been released on the process of excavation of the mine,” he said.

The archaeologist further remarked that in the next stage they would mount the blocks on the large chariots and by four animals like cow after passing through Bolaghi and Saadatshahr pass ways would transfer them to Pasargad and put them in their place and with different cutting tools would make them smooth and finally would polish them with the fibers of the palm tree or skin of the shark.

Zarei Kudshouli then pointed to the Abulverdi mine, which has been identified recently, and said the stones, extracted from the mine, had been used for filling the internal of the walls of Talle Takht and foundations of the palaces and the fountains of the royal garden.

He referred to the black stone which has also been used in the buildings of the Pasargad complex and said the exploration team is hopeful to identify its mine within the cultural zone of the city.

Stressing that farming constituted one of the infrastructures of the Achaemenid era, the archeologist said the Achaemenids embarked on building canals, streams and dams in the Pasargad plain and its neighboring areas as they were involved in agriculture and horticulture.

“The city of Pasargad and the Morghab district are among the most important areas in the Sassanid era, adding that the important works of that period are Naqsh-e Rostam and Naqsh-e Rajab (that are 10 projects' reliefs altogether) and Shahr-e Estakhr,” he said.

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