Partho-Sassanid wreck

In September, 2006, the remains of an ancient merchant ship were discovered near the port of Siraf at a depth of 70 meters. The ship’s cargo contains big jars that can attest that the ship has belonged to either the Parthian dynasty (248 BC-224 AD) or the Sassanid dynasty (224 AD – 651 AD). Those two dynasties played significant roles in maritime trade intheir time, as the Persian Gulf was a central place on the maritime trade routes between Byzantium and Europe and with Asian countries, especially China.

The shipwreck and its cargo are to be analysed and thus recovered from the seabed by an international archaeologist and experts team. Various actors are taking part in the project, such as the underwater archaeology department of Iran’s Archaeology Research Centre, the Iranian Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization helping when the discovery was first made from the Southern Sea Investigation Co.