Archaeologists will start the final season of excavations in the pre-historical Sialk Tepe site, which dates back to more than 8000 years ago and is one of the most important historical sites of Iran, located in Kashan city.
     The remains in this historical hill indicate that it was the residential area of many ethnic groups in the course of history. Sialk was first excavated by Roman Grishman, a French archaeologist. During his excavations, Grishman unearthed a giant structure which he called the brick structure of Sialk. Despite the previous plans, just the northern hill of Sialk will be excavated during the last season of excavations to study again the history of the sixth millennium BCE in Sialk, said Sadegh Malek Shahmirzadi, head of the excavation team of Sialk.
     Since the fourth season of excavations is focusing just on the northern hill, it seems that like the previous years there is no need for the attendance of foreign researchers on the site, explained Malek. Four excavation seasons in Sialk Tepe led to new discoveries about this pre-historical site. Some big clay jars, a giant earthen monument as ziggurat, the skeletons of a man and a girl who were most probably buried under debris due to an earthquake, and hundreds of other historical evidence have been unearthed during the excavations.
     Grishman excavated Sialk very systematically, but the facilities for archaeological excavations were limited at his time. Today with the use of the interdisciplinary studies we can obtain more information about life of the ethic groups during the pre-historic periods, said Malek.
     Since Silak Tepe is now located inside the perimeters of Kashan city and many residential houses surround it, the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization of Iran has presented a project to clear up the Sialk area.

Source: IranMania (11 December 2005)