Tchogha Zanbil, Iran’s first UNESCO World Heritage site

TEHRAN - Situated about 40 km southeast of UNESCO-listed Susa, Tchogha Zanbil preserves the remains of Dur-Untash, a religious city founded in the 13th century BC by the Elamite king Untash-Napirisha. At its center stands a monumental ziggurat that is regarded as one of the best-preserved examples of its kind in the world.

French archaeologist cracks 4,000-year-old Elamite script from Iran

TEHRAN – French archaeologist François Desset has decoded the 4,000-year-old Linear Elamite writing system from ancient Iran, unlocking one of the last undeciphered scripts of the ancient Near East after years of research.

Breathing life into a 6,000-year-old instrument: the Chogha Mish harp project

TEHRAN - For more than two decades, Iranian musician, instrument maker, and researcher Abdolali Bagherinejad has pursued an ambitious goal: reviving the sound of a harp that fell silent over 6,000 years ago. The celebrated curved harp has been reconstructed through meticulous study of ancient visual evidence from the archaeological site of Chogha Mish, near Dezful in southwestern Iran's Khuzestan province.

Museum director commemorates Arfa’i as pioneer of Elamite, Old Babylonian studies

TEHRAN – The head of the museum at Persepolis on Thursday marked the memory of professor Abdolmajid Arfa’i, an Elamite scholar and researcher of ancient Elamite and Akkadian languages, who died on Wednesday at the age of 86 after a period of illness.

Elamitologist Abdolmajid Arfa’i, decipherer of Cyrus Cylinder, dies at 86

TEHRAN – Professor Abdolmajid Arfa’i, Elamite scholar and prominent researcher of ancient Elamite and Akkadian languages, died on Wednesday, after a period of illness. He was 86.

Ilam scholar mentions ancient cities, monuments eligible for UNESCO registration

By Katayoon Dashti

Habibollah Mahmoudian, PhD, is a specialist in prehistoric archaeology and a faculty member of the Islamic Azad University, Ilam Province. He has also published over 100 books as well as 200 articles in domestic and international publications. In an interview with the Tehran Times, Mahmoudian elaborated on his achievements, the western province’s history, tourism, ancient cities, and monuments that are eligible for registration on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Elymaean rock carving discovered in southwest Iran

TEHRAN – A newly identified Elymaean rock carving has been discovered in the highlands of Kuh-e Manar in Andika, southwest Iran, according to the director of the Masjed Soleyman Cultural and Industrial Landscape National Base.

Groundbreaking research reveals two-thirds of Babylonian Bisotun inscription may be lost

A new study published in the journal IRAQ has cast doubt on the long-accepted completeness of the Babylonian version of the famous Bisotun (Behistun) Inscription, one of the most important trilingual records of the ancient world.

4,000-year-old Elamite relief found in southwest Iran

TEHRAN – Archaeologists have identified a small Elamite relief in Izeh, Khuzestan province, depicting a king in prayer to a sun and justice deity, Iran’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage said on Tuesday.

Echoes of the Past: Elymaean Worshipper Stone Statue

Discovered in Kalgah Zarin, southwest Iran, by the Iranian Oil Company, this statue is a significant find that was accompanied by a hoard of Seleucid and Parthian coins.

Archaeologists uncover early Elamite burial near Persepolis in southern Iran

TEHRAN - Archaeologists have discovered evidence of an early Elamite jar burial and traces of kiln waste at Tol-e Roubahi Kenareh, less than two km south of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Persepolis in southern Iran.

Rock carving of Sassanid ‘nobleman’ discovered in southern Iran

TEHRAN - A Sassanid-era rock carving estimated to be more than 1,500 years old has been discovered on the cliffs of Marvdasht in southern Iran’s Fars province, an Iranian historian said on Thursday.