Iran Discovers Ancient 70-Mile-Long Wall

Date: 08 November 2019 - 21:50

News ID: ۷۲۴۴۱

TEHRAN (FNA) -- Archaeologists have identified the remains of a stone wall in Iran about the length of the famous Hadrian's Wall that was built across England by the Romans.
The wall, which extends about 71 miles (115 kilometers), was found in Sar Pol-e Zahab County in Western Iran.
"With an estimated volume of approximately one million cubic meters (35,314,667 cubic feet) of stone, it would have required significant resources in terms of workforce, materials and time," wrote Sajjad Alibaigi, a doctoral student in the department of archaeology at the University of Tehran, in an article published online in the journal Antiquity.
The structure runs North-South from the Bamu Mountains in the North to an area near Zhaw Marg village in the South, Alibaigi wrote.
Pottery found along the wall suggests that it was built sometime between the fourth century B.C. and sixth century A.D., Alibaigi wrote.
Though the wall's existence was unknown to archaeologists, those living near it have long known about the wall, calling it the "Gawri Wall", Alibaigi wrote.
Archaeologists are not certain who built the structure, and for what purpose. Because of the poor preservation of the barrier, the scientists aren't even sure of its exact width and height. Their best estimates put it at 13 feet (4 meters) wide and about 10 feet (3 m) high, he said.
The newly discovered Gawri Wall is not the only ancient long wall in Iran. Archaeologists have previously found similar structures in the north and northeastern parts of Iran. Those may have had a defensive purpose.
Alibaigi hopes to carry out more research on the Gawri Wall in the future, he wrote.

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