Iranian experts are slated to laser scan the vandalized Khark inscription to determine the exact amount of the damage inflicted on it.
“Khark petroglyph has 20 signs or letters and only three of them have been damaged,” said Nasrollah Ebrahimi, an archeologist with Bushehr’s cultural office.
“The 20 signs are inscribed as five lines, which can be translated into 5 or 6 Persian words. The third line has suffered the most damage,” he added.
Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization is slated to open an office on Khark Island and establish a security guard center near the petroglyph.
The 2,400-year-old vandalized Achaemenid inscription was found during a road construction operation on Khark Island. Archeologists believe the petroglyph proves Iran’s sovereignty over the Persian Gulf throughout history.
The ancient Persian inscription reads, “This region was barren. I brought happiness and comfort and provided the king with water wells.”
TE/HGH
