The recent discovery of 28 relics dating back to 3,000 BCE has shed light on the previous agricultural situation of southern Iran. Archeological excavations in the southern Iranian province of Hormozgan have resulted in the discovery of artifacts 2,100 to 5,000 years old. A dish considered the smallest in the world, stone and clay cutting tools, date seeds, a clay vessel as well as glassware belonging to the Parthian Dynasty were among the discovered objects.
     The clay cutting tools, unearthed from a depth of 8 meters, are believed to have been used as sickles for harvesting grain and cutting grass. The discovered dish is 1.7 centimeters long with a width of 8 millimeters and is the smallest of its kind. It was reportedly used for measuring medicine. The Iranian archeologists, who undertook the excavations, also found two 5,000-year-old date seeds measuring 2 and 3 centimeters long. According to a Hormozgan provincial cultural heritage official, the seed discovery suggests that date trade influenced economic life in the area 5,000 years ago.

Source: Press TV (11 November 2008)