TEHRAN -- A team of archaeologists have recently returned to the Sassanid city site in the future location of the reservoir of the Salman-e Farsi Dam in southern Iran’s Fars Province.

They plan to commence a new phase of studies at the location to research the transition from the Sassanid era to the Islamic period.
Whilst undertaking excavations in April 2007, a team led by Alireza Jafari-Zand discovered the ruins of structures dating back to the early Islamic era which had been built on the site’s Sassanid strata.
The 360-hectare city also contains remains of buildings dating back to the Post-Achaemenid era.
The Sassanid city will be entirely submerged if the Fars Regional Water Company begins filling the dam.
The new phase of excavations has commenced with the digging of a 1X1.5-meter trench near an Imamzadeh -- located northeast of the city, Jafari-Zand told the Persian service of CHN on Tuesday. “Strata from the Sassanid and early Islamic eras can be observed in the trench. It seems that Muslims began inhabiting this part of the city,” he added.
“The studies indicate that the Sassanids used stone and gypsum in their buildings whilst Muslims used mud bricks,” Jafari-Zand explained.
The team has recently discovered the ruins of a round structure, which experts surmise to have once been a minaret. If they can prove this supposition to be true, it will be one of the earliest known minarets built by Iranians after the advent of Islam.
The team had previously discovered many ancient urban structures including several residential areas, a castle, a bazaar and a fire temple.
The fire temple is located in such a way that all the streets of the Sassanid city lead towards it.
“This discovery shows that from the distant past Iranians constructed holy places in the central areas of their cities,” Jafari-Zand said.
In 1970, the region had been jolted by a big earthquake, which can be compared to one which devastated Bam in southern Iran in 2003.
The earthquake caused serious damage to the archaeological strata which has made it difficult for the team to carry out their research work.
The Fars Regional Water Company had begun filling the reservoir of the dam in mid-March 2007. However, the process was stopped following the protest of the Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Organization (CHTHO).
Afterwards, the team was assigned to carry out rescue excavations in the region.