TEHRAN – Iranian authorities have recently confiscated 67 prehistoric objects, which were kept unlawfully at the home of a smuggler in Malard, Alborz province, some 35 km west of Tehran.

The relics, estimated to date back to the Iron Age, included a pitcher, stone utensil, bowl, bronze plate, and a box, as well as some ornamental stones, IRNA quoted senior police officer Abbas-Ali Mohammadian as saying on Thursday. 

A metal detector and some 821 fake coins were also seized and the smuggler surrendered to the judicial system for further investigation, the police official noted.

The Iron Age is an archaeological era, referring to a period in the prehistory and protohistory of the Old World (Afro-Eurasia) when the dominant toolmaking material was iron.

Alborz province is surrounded by Mazandaran, Tehran, Markazi, and Qazvin provinces. Its name is driven by the Alborz Mountains. The significant part of the mountains is located in the north part of the province.

Historical resources and documents as well as archeological studies indicate that Alborz has a rich culture dating back to prehistoric times.  

ABU/AFM