(ORDO NEWS) — In Iran, archaeologists have carried out excavations that shed new light on the technological achievements of the Achaemenid Empire. Researchers have unearthed an ancient and vast network of canals that people used to fight against the harmful effects of a dry climate.
According to Tehran Times, the discovery was made during the recently completed archaeological season. The team of archaeologist Hamidrez Karami excavated the Didegan Dam, also known as the Bostan Khani Dam.
It belongs to the period of the Achaemenid dynasty (about 550-330 BC). This building has been known for a long time. It is considered one of the most monumental in Iran. The technologies used in its construction are still used today.
Excavations not only confirmed this fact. They also made it possible to determine that the Didegan Dam was an important part of a large and extensive network of ancient canals. This system was built to deal with droughts.
The dam was necessary to regulate the flow of water. Archaeologists managed to completely excavate one of the main channels, which branched off from the dam. Its walls and bottom were entirely made of stone.
The canal was 70 centimeters wide and 125 centimeters high. It was designed to transfer water from the tank to a special diffuser, from where it was distributed through the network. The length of the channel was 70 meters.
Thanks to him, the territories from the dam to the plains around the cities of Pasargada, Sivand and Persepolis were provided with water. Scientists believe that the canal was actively used for 200 years during the reign of the Achaemenids.
“Although much of this valuable structure was destroyed by floods and human looting, we were able to expand our knowledge of the know-how and technology used to build the architectural structures associated with the Didegan Dam in that period,” says Karami.
“Achaemenid-era earthfill dams were built with such skill, scale and durability that even after 25 centuries, modern earthen dams are still being built according to the Achaemenid engineering model.
—
Online:
Contact us: [email protected]
Our Standards, Terms of Use: Standard Terms And Conditions.