TEHRAN – A pottery jar dating back to the Sasanian era has recently been discovered in Dehqaed village of Bushehr province, southern Iran, following recent rainfall, the provincial tourism chief said on Tuesday.

Nasrollah Ebrahimi, director general of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of Bushehr province, said the jar was spotted after rainfall washed away surface soil layers at a historical site in Dehqaed village, located in Dashtestan county.

According to Ebrahimi, a local resident noticed part of the pottery jar and immediately reported the find to the county’s cultural heritage protection unit.

The official underlined that protection officers and experts later inspected the site and conducted initial archaeological assessments, which confirmed that the jar dates to the Sasanian period, which ruled Iran from the third to seventh centuries.

“The discovered jar has historical value and significance,” Ebrahimi said, adding that it had suffered damage due to soil pressure, water penetration and natural erosion.

He said the jar is about 50 centimeters high with a mouth diameter of nearly 30 centimeters.

Ebrahimi said the artefact has been transferred to the Dashtestan cultural heritage base for conservation work, including restoration, reinforcement and stabilization.

He also denied reports circulating on social media suggesting that valuable objects or treasure had been found inside the jar.

“Contrary to the rumors, no historical objects or valuable items were found inside the jar,” Ebrahimi said. “Such vessels were mainly used in historical periods to store food and supplies, and the jar was completely filled with soil at the time of discovery.”

The Sassanid dynasty ruled Persia from 224 to 651 CE, a period marked by cultural, artistic, and architectural development. Scholars have described the era as a renaissance of Iranian civilization, with advancements in urban planning, metalwork, and the state-supported translation of foreign texts into Pahlavi. The Sassanid dynasty ended in the mid-7th century following the Arab conquests.

In 2018, UNESCO designated the “Sassanid Archaeological Landscape of Fars Region” in southern Iran as a World Heritage site, recognizing the influence of Sassanid architecture on subsequent Islamic construction. The listing includes fortified structures, palaces, and city plans in areas such as Firuzabad and Sarvestan.

AM