2,000-Year-Old Remains of Wounded Man Examined in Iran

GUILAN, IRAN—Phys.org reports that Mohammad Reza Eghdami of the University of Guilan and his colleagues examined the poorly preserved remains of a man unearthed in northwestern Iran at the Liyarsangbon Cemetery site. The 77 Parthian burials there have been dated to between 247 B.C. and A.D. 224. The Parthians were known by the Romans for their skills in mounted warfare, archery, and metalworking, including the manufacturing of high-quality weapons. This man had been buried on his left side with his legs bent. A poorly-made pot containing the remains of a bird and traces of smoke was also discovered in the grave. X-ray fluorescence, quantometer metal analysis, and CT scans of the man's bones revealed a metal object embedded in his right leg. Additional research identified the object as a Parthian-style three-bladed metal arrowhead measuring almost two inches long and about one-half inch wide. Analysis of the man’s tibia revealed some signs of wound healing, indicating that he had lived for a time after the impact. Yet no evidence for infection of the wound, nor for the formation of new bone, were evident, Eghdami said. Very few weapon-inflicted injuries have been identified among the human remains unearthed in the cemetery, although numerous weapons have been found, he concluded. To read about another site in the Parthian Empire, go to "Royal Mountain Fortress."