Iran plans preservation of rare 2,800-year-old Urartu inscription

Iranian officials have announced plans to protect a rare Urartu-era cuneiform inscription located in Nashtiban, Rezavi Khorasan Province, in eastern Iran.

Estimated to date back to the 8th century BCE, this artefact is an extraordinary remnant of the ancient kingdom of Urartu, which flourished during the Iron Age, as reported by Tehran Times, a partner of TV BRICS.

Authorities are evaluating two potential conservation strategies: implementing enhanced on-site protection or relocating the artefact to a secure museum environment.

Relocation would involve replacing the original with a replica and accompanying informational displays, following globally recognised preservation standards.

The inscription is part of a site registered in Iran’s National Heritage list since 1968, which also includes a fortress. Conservation efforts for Nashtiban are expected to inform strategies for preserving three other Urartu inscriptions in the region. 

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