Burnt City, Iran's Largest Prehistoric Site

Latest archeological excavations and studies in the vicinity of Burnt City revealed that the historical-cultural domain of this 5000-year-old prehistoric city spans over a 300,000 hectare area. This way, the Burnt City has become known as the biggest prehistoric site of Iran.
Archeological excavations for identifying satellite villages in the vicinity of the Burnt City led archeologists into finding the historical-cultural domain of Burnt City as it was in the ancient times. Based on latest studies in Burnt City historical site, some 5000 years ago, when the city was at its peak of prosperity, the cultural domain of Burnt City spanned over a 300,000 hectare area, said Alireza Khosravi, head of Cultural Heritage Center of the Burnt City.
Since this is the first time that a prehistoric city is reported to have had such a vast area, archeologists believe that Burnt City enjoyed the largest cultural domain of all the prehistoric cities. According to Khosravi, the Cultural Heritage Center of Burnt City has proposed official registration of Burnt City's historical-cultural domain. Once registered, the cultural landscape of Burnt City will increase up to a radius of 300,000 hectares, added Khosravi.
One of the main activities of the Cultural Heritage Center of Burnt City is identification and documentation of Burnt City's satellite villages located on nearby historic hills. It is possible that the cultural domain of Burnt City once spread for 40 kilometers from its central archeological hill. This is while until now archeologists have succeeded in discovery of 330 satellite villages located within a radius of 12 kilometers from the Burnt City, explained Khosravi. Khosravi believes that the number of satellite hills in Burnt City might reach to 1500, which will be a significant record in the number of satellite villages ever found for a historic site.
The 10th season of archeological excavations in Burnt City recently opened up, engaging Iranian, Italian and French archeologists. One decade of research in Burnt city will come to an end by the end of this season of excavations. The outcomes of scientific studies at this prehistoric site will then be compiled in a book in which major archeological findings of this ancient site will be documented.
Located 57 kilometers from the city of Zabol in Sistan va Baluchistan province, southeast Iran, Burnt City is one of the most important prehistoric sites of the country. Archeological evidence of this old city proves that Burnt City was well developed during the third millennium BC. About 30 years ago, Italians carried out some excavations in this historical site which led to discovery of 40 satellite villages in the vicinity of Burnt City. The excavations were then picked up by Iranian archeologists who made some valuable discoveries in this prehistoric site. Based on the discoveries made in the region, it became evident that urbanization existed in Burnt City some 5000 years ago and that the city was the converging point of the great civilizations of Iran, Mesopotamia, India, and China in the ancient times.