A team of archaeologists working on Bam riverside in Kerman Province (Iran) have recently unearthed ruins of a large ancient site, which are believed to belong to a 5000-year-old civilization. The site was discovered while excavating for a construction project in the Khajeh Askar region, team director Nader Alidadi-Soleimani said. "Unfortunately, part of the site was damaged during the excavation," he noted. "Based on the artifacts unearthed there, the site was one of the early places of human habitation in Iran," he explained.
     The team has also discovered a number of pieces of intact pottery and shards. Study of the artifacts suggests that use of potter's wheel was not common at the site. Alidadi-Soleimani also said that two styles of burial, one for a man and another for woman, have been identified at two cemeteries discovered at the site. One of the bodies was buried in a fetal position and another was lying face up. The bodies had been buried with various artifacts. A seashell containing chromatic material used for women's cosmetics was found beside one of the bodies.
     
Edited from Tehran Times (5 January 2011)