Ancient king with five rings of power

[Christina]

Search on for ancient king with five rings of power TEHRAN, May 6 (MNA) -- Iranian archaeologists are searching for a king who possessed five rings of power. The rings were discovered by chance by the Khuzestan Water and Waste Water Company during a grading operation in the city of Ramhormoz, Khuzestan Province last week. The rings have been discovered in two U-shaped coffins, which, unfortunately, have been seriously damaged by bulldozers. They are similar to a ring that belonged to the Elamite king Kidin-Khutran (1235-1210 BC), whose coffin was discovered in 1982 in the ruins of the Elamite city of Arjan, which is located 10 kilometers north of the city of Behbahan in Khuzestan Province. One of the gold rings has a cuneiform inscription, which is believed to be written in neo-Elamite. Gold rings of this type were a symbol of power and Elamite kings were buried wearing them. Altogether, about 500 invaluable artifacts have been discovered near the coffins. “More precise archaeological techniques are required to date these items of treasure,” Abdorreza Peymani, an archaeologist of the Khuzestan Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Department, told the Persian service of CHN on Saturday. “However, it seems that some of the artifacts date back to the neo-Elamite, Parthian, and Achaemenid periods, and the dynasties that once ruled in Mesopotamia,” he added. “The discovery has raised much speculation,” Peymani said. “To whom did these items belong? Did the rings belong to a single person, and if so, why did he have five? Why are Mesopotamian items being discovered in Iran?” This extraordinary discovery of artifacts includes a golden armlet with herb motifs, two golden bracelets bearing dear-head patterns at each end, some ornamental stones also decorated with herb motifs, several bracelets, one of which bearing a cuneiform inscription, and a short golden cane. Some 155 golden buttons of various sizes were also found, which will help archaeologists in the study of ancient costumes. Several statuettes of goddesses, which originally must have come from Mesopotamia, have also been unearthed. In addition, a golden necklace, golden plaques with herb motifs, 99 golden necklace beads, 23 golden necklace pendants of various sizes, three marble stone dishes, earthenware and bronze dishes, several bronze bracelets, metal tripods which were probably used as candlesticks, and a fish-shaped goddess ornament, which dates back to the second millennium BC., have been discovered at the site. The fish goddess is in the form of a woman with a pleated skirt, her hands outstretched as if to indicate something. The fish-shaped part of the goddess is part of a decorative armrest of a throne.Publish date,Tehran: 2007/05/06, 17:22