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2026-10-21 15:14
National Museum of Iran pays tribute to renowned archaeologist Yousef Majidzadeh
TEHRAN - The National Museum of Iran has expressed its profound sorrow at the passing of Yousef Majidzadeh, one of Iran’s most distinguished archaeologists, whose research made significant contributions to the study of the country’s prehistoric cultures and early civilizations. Majidzadeh died in France on October 19, 2026, at the age of 90.
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2026-10-17 16:21
By Fereidoun Biglari, National Museum of Iran
Intl. Archaeology Day: A glimpse of Iran’s Paleolithic heritage and museums
TEHRAN - On 17 October, archaeologists and cultural institutions worldwide mark International Archaeology Day, highlighting archaeology’s contribution to our understanding of the human past. The occasion also invites reflection on the broader role of archaeology in reconstructing human history, investigating changing relationships between people and their environments, and communicating scientific knowledge to the public through museums and other cultural institutions.
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2026-10-05 17:03
Heritage is identity: Iranian archaeologist exposes scale of war destruction to historic sites
TEHRAN – An Iranian archaeologist, Sonia Shidrang, highlighted in a global webinar hosted by the International Committee on Archaeological Heritage Management (ICAHM), a scientific committee under ICOMOS, that the 40-day war with the United States and the Israeli regime left 149 historical sites across 20 provinces damaged, and that Iran's cultural heritage now demands a response grounded in international law, rigorous documentation, and a concrete protection plan.
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2026-10-03 13:50
Jiroft event uses child tourism to connect new generation with ancient civilization
TEHRAN - A cultural and educational event in Jiroft has used child- and family-oriented tourism activities to introduce younger generations to the 5,000-year-old civilization of the Halil Rud valley and promote awareness of the importance of protecting archaeological heritage.
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2026-09-16 12:37
Ancient iron-smelting site discovered in Hyrcanian forests of northern Iran
TEHRAN – Archaeologists have discovered the remains of an ancient metal-smelting site in the forested highlands of Sowme’eh Sara in northern Iran, a find that could shed new light on the history of metallurgy in the western Alborz Mountains.
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2026-08-07 16:09
New reference work on Linear Elamite inscriptions published by international research team
TEHRAN – A comprehensive scholarly volume on Linear Elamite inscriptions and related cuneiform texts has recently been published, offering a detailed corpus and analysis of ancient Iranian writings from Susa and shedding new light on one of the earliest writing systems of the Iranian Plateau.
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2026-07-31 15:45
By Sahar Dadjoo
Destruction of Iran's cultural sites by Israel, US tantamount to destroying a civilization
Historian Touraj Daryaee says international law is nearly powerless against superpowers, but UNESCO status could deter future attacks
TEHRAN – Since US and Israeli strikes began in February, over 130 registered monuments and museums across Iran have sustained damage, from the Golestan Palace to historic quarters in Isfahan, Kordestan, and Lorestan. In an exclusive interview with Tehran Times, Touraj Daryaee, historian of ancient Iran and editor of Encyclopaedia Iranica, discusses the emotional and scholarly weight of watching millennia-old heritage damaged within weeks, the limits of international legal accountability, and what the destruction means for how Iran's history will be told and remembered.
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2026-07-19 18:48
Prominent Iranian archaeologist Ismail Yaghmaei passes away at 84
TEHRAN – Ismail Yaghmaei (also known as Ehsan Yaghmaei), one of Iran’s renowned archaeologists and a veteran of the country’s cultural heritage, passed away on Sunday morning, at Pars Hospital in Tehran. He was 84.
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2026-06-21 17:44
Archaeologists uncover rooms and corridors in underground hand-carved complex in western Iran
TEHRAN - Archaeologists conducting the first phase of excavation and documentation at an underground hand-carved complex in Aligudarz, western Iran, have uncovered four rooms and six corridors, with evidence indicating the site was used during the late Sasanian period and the medieval Islamic era, officials said.
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2026-06-02 17:25
New hall and ritual offering tables unearthed at Vigol fire temple site
TEHRAN – Archaeologists working at the ancient Vigol archaeological site in central Iran have discovered a new hall and the remains of ritual offering tables during the third season of excavations at the site, a cultural heritage official said on Monday.
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2026-05-31 17:50
By Sepehr Zarei, archaeologist
Zobeiri: Guardian of the Persian Gulf’s millennia-old heritage
Until recently, few imagined human presence on Iran’s Persian Gulf islands extended beyond the last millennium. But archaeological research has transformed this understanding. Excavations on Qeshm Island pushed settlement back nearly 5,000 years, while stone tools on Bam-e Qeshm hinted at an even older past. The discovery of Paleolithic sites on Hormuz Island—Chand-Derakht and Sang-e Ghorab—revealed that Middle Paleolithic populations lived there between 150,000 and 40,000 years ago, highlighting the Persian Gulf’s role in early human migrations. Long before these scientific findings, Master Mohammad Zobeiri had already grasped this deep historical continuity, preserving it in the Deyrestan Anthropology Museum and his book Ganz-e Bapu.
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2026-04-26 18:26
Ecbatana’s layered past reveals early urban planning and imperial legacy in west-central Iran
TEHRAN – The ancient city of Ecbatana, located partly beneath the modern city of Hamadan, remains one of the most significant archaeological sites in Iran, offering evidence of early urban planning and continuous occupation across multiple historical eras.
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2026-02-02 17:01
Ancient hill in Ilam’s Karezan district inhabited since 5th millennium BC
TEHRAN -- Cultural artifacts which have been found on the surface of the Chegha Seifur hill in Karezan district, Ilam province, and their diversity, indicate that Chegha Seifur has been continuously inhabited since the 5th millennium BC until the historical period.
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2025-12-22 17:45
Archaeologist says pomegranate origin traces back to the Iranian plateau
TEHRAN--Pomegranate is not only a plant native to the Iranian plateau, but also a symbol of civilization that has been present in Iranian culture as a symbol of fertility, blessing, and continuity of life, at least since the Iron Age until today, and rituals such as Yalda Night are a direct continuation of this ancient tradition.
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2025-12-08 16:44
Archaeologist considers Chega Sofla site to be key civilizational link of Persian Gulf
TEHRAN--Chega Sofla ancient site in Dasht-e Zohreh, southeast of Khuzestan province, is one of the most key civilizational links of Persian Gulf, where the world’s first brick tomb, an elaborate shrine, and unique evidence of the privileged position of women in the 5th millennium BC have been discovered.
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2025-11-26 16:59
Third excavation season begins at Zel Hastijan cave
TEHRAN-- The third excavation season has begun in Zel Hastijan Cave, in the city of Delijan, Markazi province.
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2025-11-19 17:44
Cultural and civilizational developments of Iron Age in Western Iran
TEHRAN--The Iron Age in Iran is not just a historical period; it is the narrative of thousands of years of life, migration, and art that has been left in cemeteries and ancient sites from Zagros to the north of the country and has been revived today through scientific explorations.