Archaeologists in Iran are planning an in-depth study of the lifestyle of the Iron Age inhabitants of Shamshirgah, Qom Province. The site is in a region which contains other Iron Age sites, namely Qoli Darvisha Tepe and Serm Tepe, which have been excavated, but Shamshirgah has so far been untouched.
    Mohammad Kavusi, an archaeologist with the Qom Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department, said “Located near the central Iranian city of Qom, Shamshirgah is the second most important Iron Age human habitation in the region, but it has never been excavated. The site, which includes stone and mud-brick ruins, is situated between two mountains. Experts believe that the excavations can help to shed light on the lifestyles in the region during the Stone Age and the Bronze Age.”
    Last November metal-working tools such as forge welding equipment, crucibles, awls, daggers, metal molds, and iron and copper stones, along with the remains of three forges, were unearthed at Qoli Darvisha Tepe.

Source: Tehran Times (8 March 2005)