TEHRAN - Iranian archaeologist Morteza Geravand has stressed the untapped capacity of Godin Tepe, an ancient settlement dating back to 5,000 BC, as a considerable cultural and tourist destination.Situated in Kangavar Valley in between Hamadan and Kermanshah, this archaeological site has been mainly overlooked for almost six decades, regardless of its importance in Irans archaeological heritage.Speaking to local media, Geravand, who likewise heads the Anahita Temple National Base, highlighted Godin Tepes function as a significant trade hub in ancient times.
This website was located along a key commercial route, working as a trading post for exchanges in between Mesopotamia and even southern Iran, he explained.Excavations at Godin Tepe have actually exposed evidence of human occupation from ancient durations through the Islamic period.
During the Median period, a fortress was constructed at the site, likely serving as an administrative or military.
In spite of its historical significance, Geravand expressed concern over the sites existing state, keeping in mind that while other ancient sites from the exact same era, such as Tepe Sialk in Kashan, Nushijan in Malayer, and Hasanlu in West Azarbaijan province, have actually been developed into research and tourist centers, Godin Tepe has actually been left unattended.The website was excavated by a Canadian archaeological team nearly 60 years earlier.
Ever since, no further excavations have actually happened, and a lot of the structures uncovered at that time have actually weakened.
Recent efforts have been made to define the sites boundaries, however moneying restrictions have actually impeded preservation work.Geravand estimated that an initial budget of around one billion tomans (some $11,000) is required for site conservation and analysis, with additional investments needed for its full advancement as a research and tourism hub.
He worried that with sufficient support, Godin Tepe might become a significant cultural tourist attraction, bringing economic advantages to the underdeveloped eastern area of Kermanshah province.While Kermanshah is understood for [cherished] sites like [the UNESCO-registered] Bisotun and Taq-e Bostan, numerous important historical landmarks in the eastern part of the province stay underappreciated, he noted, requiring greater attention to the areas cultural heritage.Godin Tepe, also known as Tappeh Imamzadeh, is located near the town of Godin in Kangavar county.
It was signed up on Irans National Heritage List in 1965.
Supporters like Geravand hope that with further financial investment and acknowledgment, it may one day get UNESCO World Heritage status, putting it among Irans most valued archaeological sites.
Godin Tepe is worthy of getting a UNESCO status, the archaeologist revealed in October 2023.
The significant occupation periods at Godin have been categorized as Periods XI-VI (c.
5200-3800 BC); Period VI: phases 3-1 (c.
3800-3000 BC) (note that Period VI:1 was called Period V in early reports of the website); Period IV: stages 2-1 (c.
2800-2600 BC); Period III: stages 6-1 (2600-1400 BC); and Period II: stages 2-1 (c.
800-500 BC).
According to World History Encyclopedia, the website was a Sumerian settlement first lived in c.
5000 BC, which comprised a town and a fortress.
It became an essential stop along the Great Khorasan Road trade path, better known as the Silk Road, which was the significant opportunity for trade for near to 3,000 years.
(The term Silk Road was very first coined in 1877 by the German geographer Baron Ferdinand von Richthofen in reference to the trade of Chinese silk).
AM