Archaeologists have discovered a goat statuette and a bas-relief of a lizard buried with the skeleton of a woman in the cemetery of the Narges Tappeh ancient site near Gorgan, Golestan Province (Iran). "The goat statuette was located under the left arm of the woman, who was buried in a squatting position. The bas-relief of the lizard has been carved on the handle of a stick-like artifact, the likes of which have never been seen at any ancient Iranian site. The skeleton dates back to the first millennium BCE," archaeological team director Qorban-Ali Abbasi explained.
     A bird has been depicted on the curved horns of the goat and a number of other artifacts, such as a necklace, earrings, a hairpin, and several bracelets connected to a ring worn by the woman, have been found in her grave. The archaeologists also discovered a six-pronged relic made of tar and a stone spindle beside the skeleton.
     The excavations are being carried out to save Narges Tappeh, which is located near the runway of an airport currently under construction in Gorgan.
Archaeologists have recently discovered fragments of pottery containing corn and lentil, which has provided important information on the diet of the inhabitants of Narges Tappeh in ancient times. Covering an area of about 17,000 square meters, Narges Tappeh contains traces of architecture, pottery, and a dozen other monuments and artifacts, some dating back to about 5000 BCE. 

Source: IranMania.com (2 October 2006)