Painted Leather Discovered in Iran’s Burnt City

The Tehran Times reports that archaeologist Seyyed Mansur Sajjadi and his team have found a piece of painted leather at the 5,200-year-old Burnt City in southeastern Iran. “Due to extensive corrosion, some experts and the archaeologists are trying to save the leather,” he said. This season’s excavation has also uncovered a structure with two thick walls supported by nine buttresses. “The signs of fire are clearly seen in some rooms of the building,” Sajjadi said. Pieces of textiles were found in the rooms, one of which may have been used for offering sacrifices. The Burnt City, which burned down three times and was not rebuilt after the last fire in 1800 B.C., was added to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage sites last year. To read in-depth about the Burnt City, see "The World in Between."