“During the recent excavation, we found a piece of ebony wood 10 centimeters in length with regular furrows which seemed to be created by a sharp instrument. After several examinations using special tools, we learned that the grooves were carved in lengths of one millimeter and half a millimeter,” Mansur Sajjadi added.
“Through more studies, we became certain that the instrument is a ruler which was used by the people of the Burnt City in precision industries.”
Experts believe the instrument indicates that the ancient inhabitants of the Burnt City were very adept in mathematics and geometry.
“The people surely used other measuring tools, but such a ruler must have been used for tiny works, since we had already ascertained that the people were very skilled in making handicrafts such as jewelry,” Sajjadi said.
More studies are currently being carried out on the ruler, he added.
Last December, Sajjadi announced the discovery of an earthenware bowl at the Burnt City which bore images of what experts believe is the world’s oldest “animated” picture drawn around it.
The Burnt City is located 57 kilometers from the city of Zabol in Iran’s Sistan and Baluchestan Province. It covers an area of 150 hectares and used to be one of the largest cities at the dawn of the urban era. It was built in approximately 3200 B.C. and destroyed some time around 2100 B.C. The city had four stages of civilization and was burnt down three times. Since it was not rebuilt after the last time it was burnt down, it has been named the Burnt City.
Although many studies have been carried out on the Burnt City, so far experts have not been able to determine the ethnicity and language of the city’s inhabitants.
MMS/HG
End
MNA
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