Achaemenid Stone Quarry of Dashtestan on the Verge of Destruction

LONDON, 19 April 2006(CAIS) -- Looking from the outside, no one can deny the glory of the Bardak Siah Castle which was once the royal residence of the Achaemenid king of kings. Studies on the tough stones used in construction of this huge monument show that they are very similar to those found in Pouzeh Palangi Mine in Dashtestan, Bushehr Province. Unfortunately, this ancient stone quarry is now being destroyed due to the activities of a cement company built nearby.

“The Pouzeh Palangi is an ancient and unique mine which is considered more important than other ancient mines, even the Majd Abad Mine from which stones used in the construction of the palace of Persepolis were extracted in the past. This valuable archeological site is unfortunately being destroyed and nothing has been done by the authorities to protect this ancient mine,” said Mohyedin Jafari, geologist who has had close cooperation with the excavation team at Bardak Siah castle.

“We have informed the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization of Iran about the dangers posed to this mine and have asked them to take all the necessary measures to protect it before it is too late. However, no one from that organization has visited the Pouzeh Palangi Mine. Although we have had talks with managers of the cement company and they seemed to understand the sensitivity of the case, as long as the cultural heritage and tourism organization has not taken any action, we can not expect the company to seize its activities,” added Jafari.

Bardak Siah Castle was discovered in 1977 where remains of another palace, called Sang-e Siah (Black Stone), and many stone inscriptions and bas-reliefs have been unearthed from this castle. More than twenty other palaces and halls from the Achaemenid dynasty have been identified buried under the palm trees of Dashtestan area.