<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Achaemenid government center unearthed
<img src='http://www.presstv.ir/photo/20080224/ahmadi-nastaran20080224110350921.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />
An archeological team has discovered the ruins of an Achaemenid government center during excavations in a city in southern Iran.
The latest studies in the second phase of archeological excavations in Nourabad-Mamasani located in the country's southern Fars province has revealed the existence of a government center in the ancient site.
âThe excavations revealed three staircases, a terrace partition adorned with 15 battlements similar to the ones in Apadana terrace in Takht-e Jamshid (Persepolis),â Alireza Asgari supervisor of the Iranian-Australian archeological team said.
Achaemenid columns and pedestals of more than a meter thick, which were decorated with lotus designs and palm-leaf grooves, were discovered along with two 10-by-10-meter rooms, a marble staircase and vessels belonging to the same period.
âBuilding such an extended complex with numerous artistic decorations was not possible at that time without financial support from the government,â Asgari added.
Alireza Asgari from Iran's Archeology Research Center and Daniel Potts from Australia's Sydney University were in charge of the project, which started on Dec. 31, 2007.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<img src='http://www.presstv.ir/photo/20080224/ahmadi-nastaran20080224110350921.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />
An archeological team has discovered the ruins of an Achaemenid government center during excavations in a city in southern Iran.
The latest studies in the second phase of archeological excavations in Nourabad-Mamasani located in the country's southern Fars province has revealed the existence of a government center in the ancient site.
âThe excavations revealed three staircases, a terrace partition adorned with 15 battlements similar to the ones in Apadana terrace in Takht-e Jamshid (Persepolis),â Alireza Asgari supervisor of the Iranian-Australian archeological team said.
Achaemenid columns and pedestals of more than a meter thick, which were decorated with lotus designs and palm-leaf grooves, were discovered along with two 10-by-10-meter rooms, a marble staircase and vessels belonging to the same period.
âBuilding such an extended complex with numerous artistic decorations was not possible at that time without financial support from the government,â Asgari added.
Alireza Asgari from Iran's Archeology Research Center and Daniel Potts from Australia's Sydney University were in charge of the project, which started on Dec. 31, 2007.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->