Signet Ring Found in a Sassanid Grave in Mazandaran

Tehran, 27 May 2006 (CHN) -- A grave belonging to the Sassanid era was discovered during sounding activities by archaeologists near Kangelou historical fortress in Mazandaran province in which a signet ring with Pahlavi-Sassanid script carved on it was found.
“This Sassanid grave was discovered during the sounding activities aimed at finding the pathway to Kangelou Fortress in Savad Kooh in the northern Iranian province of Mazandaran. This is a four-layer stone grave and the corpse was buried in a foetal position. In addition to the signet ring, some enameled clay dishes, metal, and glass relics have been found in this grave,” said Saman Sourtiji, member of academic assembly of Iran’s Archaeology Research Center of the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department of Mazandaran province and head of the archaeology team in Kangelou Fortress.
According to Sourtiji, the grave was built with rubbles and mud mortar and the corpse was buried towards the west laid on its left side with hands near its mouth and knees bent.
This is a pre-historic burial method common before the Islamic period. However, this new discovery shows that this method of burial continued in Mazandaran province even after the Islamic era for over a century.
“The discovered ring in the grave is an opal ring which was used as a seal. An etched word can be seen on the opal which was decoded by Rasoul Bashash, master of ancient languages. According to Bashash, the word on the ring says “Farokhi” or “Farahi”, meaning luck or happiness, and it was believed that it would bring dignity and splendor for its owner,” explained Sourtiji.
According to Sourtiji, with this discovery, the Kangelou fortress archaeology team is determined to continue its excavations in the area to find the architectural remains of the people who lived near the fortress during the Sassanid era in order to learn more about the mysteries of this historical period in this area.