First Elamite Inscription Discovered in Bandar Abbas, Iran

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   First Elamite Inscription Discovered in Bandar Abbas

Discovery of a cuneiform inscription belonging to the Middle Elamite period in Bandar Abbas was a surprise for archeologists.

Tehran, 1 March 2006 (CHN) -- The
recent archaeological excavations in Bandar Abbas, the southern port of
Iran, led to the discovery of a Middle Elamite cuneiform inscription
belonging to 1500 BC for the first time.

�Part of an inscription
has been discovered in the city of Bandar Abbas in the vicinity of
Sarkhoon Village in Hormozgan province, near a cemetery belonging to
the Qajar era. Archeologists believe that this cuneiform inscription
must have belonged to the Middle Elamite period. This is the first time
such an inscription has been found in the city of Bandar Abbas.
Considering the long distance between the province of Hormozgan and
Khuzestan province, which was the origin of Elamite culture, discovery
of this inscription in Bandar Abbas indicates the expansion of Elamite
civilization to a great extent. This Elamite inscription is one of the
few inscriptions which have been discovered in Hormozgan province and
in Sarkhoon plain so far,� said Hossein Tofighian, head of
archeological team in Bandar Abbas.

According to Tofighian, the
expansion of Elamite civilization to the southern parts of the Persian
Gulf and Boushehr Port and the traces of this civilization in Hormozgan
province had already been approved. However, this is the first time
such evidence has been found in Bandar Abbas.

The size of this
inscription is six in seven centimeters with the thickness of two
centimeters, and is carved on a stone. Archeologists believe that this
discovered inscription dates back to 1500 BC. 

�The inscription
has suffered serious harm and the other parts of it should be found in
order to be more certain about the information given about it. Based on
the evidence, the inscription should have been written in Elamite
cuneiform. It was carved on a black stone in 9 lines. Some of the words
are visible but no phrase can be read easily,� said Shahrokh Razmjou,
an archeologist.

Bandar Abbas is a port city on the southern
coast of Iran in the Persian Gulf. It is the capital of the Hormozgan
province. The city occupies a strategic position on the narrow Strait
of Hormoz. Thus, Bandar Abbas serves as a major shipping point for most
imports, and has a long history of trade with India. Thousands of
tourists visit the city and its nearby islands such as Qeshm and Hormoz
every year. 