According to the Ayapir cultural heritage team, almost forty kinds of plant species were discovered during the recent excavation at the site, before it was submerged by the rising waters of the reservoir of the Karun-3 Dam.
Acorns were one of the most common types of vegetable matter discovered at the site, said Hajir Kiani, the head of the team.
“The acorn’s resistance to the elements made it an important foodstuff for the local people. Different parts of the oak tree, such as its fruit and leaves, were used as food and for medicinal purposes,” he added.
According to Kiani, the residents of the Izeh region have baked their bread with acorns since ancient times and still prepare it the same way.
“The tools found in the mountains when compared with the tools used by the present-day nomads of the region prove that the baking method has been almost exactly the same for the past 3000 years.
“The Bakhtiari nomads who currently live in the region grind acorns with a grindstone. Then they put it inside a kind of basket made of thin branches of the almond tree, and put the basket in a stream for about a week. This helps to remove the bitter taste of the acorns.
“The acorns expand and gradually turn into dough within a week. The only thing left to do is to pick up a handful of the dough, knead it well, and put it on the fire to bake,” he said.
The ancient residents of Izeh used to bake their bread inside the old ovens and later would eat it with yoghurt, he added.
The oak tree was greatly utilized by the residents of the region in ancient times, he said, noting that the layer covering the acorns was used to reinforce tanned leather, the leaves were used as animal feed, and the wood was used for making tools and building houses.
The Karun-3 Dam came on stream on November 8, 2004, submerging many historical sites, monuments, and artifacts. In the preceding months, Iranian and foreign archaeologists rushed to the site to save what they could before it was too late.
RM/HG
END
MNA
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