The Public Relations Office of the Research Institute of Cultural Heritage and Tourism (RICHT) quoted head of the archeological team Montasar Qolinejad as saying that a series of stone tools were identified which could be dated back to the Paleolithic period.
Three percent of the objects identified date back to the historic era, 5 percent to pre-historic era, 7 percent to natural objects and 85 percent to the Islamic era which could be divided into 6 groups in terms of types and application, he said.
According to IRNA, the head of the archeological team pointed to the Sar Takhteh Bazaar area as one of the important areas of west of Qaen and said that the region has agricultural application and by plowing parts of the remains of the objects can be witnessed on the surface.
Stressing that the sites belonging to the Islamic era have been classified into three categories, he said zones in the early Islamic era are located in the northeast, east and central parts of the city and there are no architectural signs in them except for clay works dating back to the early Islamic era and some clay pieces belonging to the middle Islamic era.
Montasar Qolinejad further remarked that in the western areas of the city a mill complex was identified as well as four warehouse docks in the present settlement areas and three dikes one of which has been abandoned and the two others are still being used.
He also referred to the mines, workshops and furnaces as other works which have been identified, saying that most of the mines are copper mine and except for one the remaining are still being extracted.
As the causes for the formation of the settlements he pointed to access to water, fertile agricultural lands, pastures and mineral and natural substances and said the bronze objects which have been unearthed are very similar to the objects found in Turkmenistan and the eastern part of Qaen which show a kind of cultural communication with the neighboring areas and areas in northeast of Iran at that time.
EghtesadOnline: Works divided into pre-historic, historic and Islamic eras were identified in the city of Qaen in South Khorasan Province.