Two new videos by Cyrus Kar, a scholar and researcher who has produced the first documentary series about the life of Cyrus the Great

As we approach the day of Cyrus the Great on October 29^th, it is unfortunate that some disturbing news has arrived from Iran’s cultural heritage supporters.

The Iranian Minister of Cultural Heritage and Tourism of the Islamic Government, Zarghami, told reporters a few days ago that in order to help farmers, he wants to receive permission from authorities to dig wells and rigs, and to build two-story buildings that are completely banned in the Pasargad area. Zarghami was strongly opposed by cultural heritage supporters. However, there are still major concerns as some individuals have noticed activities around the tomb of Cyrus.

According to a statement by the Pasargad Heritage Foundation (PHF), an organization dedicated to the preservation of Iranian historical and heritage sites and monuments, Zarghami now has the intention of causing damage to the tomb of Cyrus, which is greatly popular with the Iranian people.

Sixteen years ago, the PHF proposed celebrating the designation of October 29^th as the day of Cyrus the Great, and in addition urges people in Iran to report any activities around the tomb of Cyrus the Great which might be damaging to the structure and to inform UNESCO and other international organizations.

savepasargad.com

In 2005, the International Committee for the Rescue of Pasargadae was formed to prevent the flooding of the Sivand Dam and to save the Tomb of Cyrus the Great from the dangers of humidity (as caused by bodies of water in the area) and destruction. Additionally the Committee also called on everyone to announce October 29^th, which coincides with the day of the issuance of Cyrus’ charter, to be called the “Day of Cyrus the Great.” This was proposed to bring public attention to the importance of Cyrus’ great actions and meaningful work. Fortunately, this announcement was quickly welcomed by the media and people inside and outside Iran.

In 2007 the Pasargad Heritage Foundation (PHF) became the first international non-governmental organization (NGO) for the Preservation of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, officially established in the United States. As a result of the efforts of the PHF, and with the support and efforts of culture-loving people around the world and the timely intervention of UNESCO, the Iranian government at the time (the Ahmadinejad government) was forced to lower the water level of the Sivand Dam.

In fact, the naming of the day of Cyrus the Great, in addition to preventing the danger that threatened the great Persian historical site Pasargadae, made more people aware of Cyrus’ initial efforts for the survival of human civilization.

The significance of naming Cyrus the Great’s day is also due to the fact that this major undertaking was achieved with no assistance from any governmental or religious entity and only by a non-governmental cultural organization bringing together important cultural and social figures, including the Iranian and international media, and thousands of Iranian and international women and men to support the cause.

Therefore, on the day of Cyrus the Great, many people both in Iran and internationally commemorate the 7^th of Aban (the 29^th of October), and celebrate the life of a man who twenty five centuries ago announced the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. As stated in his charter: “He entered Babylon peacefully, his many soldiers were friendly in Babylon, and he did not allow anyone to be intimidated in all the lands of Sumer and Akkad.” He rescued the oppressed people from helplessness, returned the displaced to their homes, rescued slaves from slavery, and commanded that everyone be free to choose their religion and place of residence.

Pasargad Heritage Foundation

According to local news agencies, from this year on, many fields of study will be eliminated from Iranian universities degree programs, or the admission capacity of students in those fields will be reduced by 30 to 40 percent. These disciplines include: Persian language and literature, foreign languages, archaeology, restoration of historical monuments, museology, art, writing, painting, fiction writing and literature, teaching English, painting, handicrafts, television directing, and visual communication.

In addition, the government has announced major changes to the contents of textbooks, and to curricula that will cover more than 100 disciplines. Officials at the Ministry of Science of the Islamic Republic of Iran cited one of the reasons for these important changes to be the students’ lack of interest in the removed fields, or the departure of hundreds of thousands of professors from Iran, many of high expertise and academic standing. The government has cited the reason for the brain drain as “economic,” whereas the real reason is that many of these professors have had their writings and statements censored. The domination of a religious space over scientific fields, and at times the restrictive control over academic disciplines and sometimes unnecessary detentions of many university professors are the real reasons for their escape from their homeland.

According to local news agencies, from this year on, many fields of study will be eliminated from Iranian universities degree programs, or the admission capacity of students in those fields will be reduced by 30 to 40 percent. These disciplines include: Persian language and literature, foreign languages, archaeology, restoration of historical monuments, museology, art, writing, painting, fiction writing and literature, teaching English, painting, handicrafts, television directing, and visual communication.

In addition, the government has announced major changes to the contents of textbooks, and to curricula that will cover more than 100 disciplines. Officials at the Ministry of Science of the Islamic Republic of Iran cited one of the reasons for these important changes to be the students’ lack of interest in the removed fields, or the departure of hundreds of thousands of professors from Iran, many of high expertise and academic standing. The government has cited the reason for the brain drain as “economic,” whereas the real reason is that many of these professors have had their writings and statements censored. The domination of a religious space over scientific fields, and at times the restrictive control over academic disciplines and sometimes unnecessary detentions of many university professors are the real reasons for their escape from their homeland.

It is clear that what the Islamic government is doing now is the implementation of parts of the plan that the Islamic revolutionaries had prepared for Iran from the beginning: to worsen the scientific content of Iranian universities from international standards and to turn the universities into seminaries. We therefore see a long list of Islamic courses that are offered in universities instead of other courses in humanities, political sciences, and other important fields of study.

https://savepasargad.com/

It is clear that what the Islamic government is doing now is the implementation of parts of the plan that the Islamic revolutionaries had prepared for Iran from the beginning: to worsen the scientific content of Iranian universities from international standards and to turn the universities into seminaries. We therefore see a long list of Islamic courses that are offered in universities instead of other courses in humanities, political sciences, and other important fields of study.

https://savepasargad.com/

ESKIŞEHIR, TURKEY—Analysis of the remains of more than 40 people suggests that 35 to 40 years of age was the average life span in central Anatolia some 5,000 years ago, according to a Hurriyet Daily News report. The cemetery where the remains were unearthed is located at the Küllüoba Mound, which is known for its Early Bronze Age urban settlement. Most of the remains in the study belonged to women and children. “Infant and child mortality is very high,” said Yilmaz Selim Erdal of Hacettepe University. “The limited food sources and the infectious diseases were imported factors,” he added. Seals, hair ornaments, and jewelry were also recovered from the burials, which varied in style, suggesting that different cultures or ethnic groups shared the settlement. DNA analysis could reveal kinship relationships between the dead, Erdal explained

GYEONGJU, SOUTH KOREA—Korea JoongAng Daily reports that a young woman’s remains have been unearthed at the site of Wolseong, a Silla Dynasty (57 B.C.–A.D. 935) palace complex in eastern South Korea. The remains of a man and a woman in their 50s were discovered less than two feet away from her grave in 2017. All three sets of remains, which show no signs of injury, had been placed in the bottom layer of the west wall of the fortress, according to Choi Byung-heon of Soongsil University. This suggests that the individuals may have been sacrificed during the construction of the building, explained Jang Ki-myeong of Gyeongju National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage. Animal bones and other objects thought to have been used in rituals were also uncovered at the site. An intact pot was found near the young woman’s head. “When we did an X-ray of the pottery, we found a smaller bowl inside the jar. It looks like the larger pottery carried alcohol or some kind of liquid,” Jang said. Pottery was been found at the feet of the older couple, he added. The research also shows that construction of the palace complex began in the fourth century A.D. and took about 50 years to complete

The International Day of Democracy is celebrated around the world on 15 September each year. It was established through a resolution passed by the UN General Assembly in 2007, encouraging governments to strengthen and consolidate democracy.
Background
The International Day of Democracy provides an opportunity to review the state of democracy in the world. Democracy is as much a process as a goal, and only with the full participation of and support by the international community, national governing bodies, civil society and individuals, can the ideal of democracy be made into a reality to be enjoyed by everyone, everywhere.
The values of freedom, respect for human rights and the principle of holding periodic and genuine elections by universal suffrage are essential elements of democracy.  In turn, democracy provides the natural environment for the protection and effective realization of human rights. These values are embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and further developed in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which enshrines a host of political rights and civil liberties underpinning meaningful democracies.
The link between democracy and human rights is captured in article 21(3) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states:
“The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.”
The rights enshrined in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and subsequent human rights instruments covering group rights (e.g.indigenous peoples, minorities, people with disabilities) are equally essential for democracy as they ensure an equitable distribution of wealth, and equality and equity in respect of access to civil and political rights.

Ancient Iranian historical artifacts at the Rijks Museum in Leiden, the Netherlands

Photos by: Farzad Arian. 
          

An archeological team working in Israel’s Timna Valley believes they have discovered the reason behind King Solomon’s legendary wealth.

The Timna Valley is located in the Israeli desert, further south than Qumran. Since 1964, archaeologists have been excavating there.

Researchers who have been working there since the mid-1960s “have discovered a network of mines, believed to have been worked by slaves under King Solomon, explored in the Smithsonian Channel’s documentary, ‘Secrets: King Solomon’s Mines,” the Express writes.

Archaeologists “may have uncovered” the source of King Solomon’s mythical wealth, according to the Smithsonian Channel documentary.

Professor Erez Ben-Yosef of Tel Aviv University figüred that production at the site was at its thriving 3,000 years ago, during Solomon’s reign.

In an article published in Plos One, a team of scientists led by Tel Aviv University’s Prof. Erez Ben-Yosef of the Central Timna Valley Project and Prof. Tom Levy of the Edom Lowlands Regional Archaeology Project demonstrates how the vast mining network experienced change.

The researchers examined hundreds of pieces of slag, and copper smelting leftovers, from old copper mines dating back 500 years. The majority of the samples came from southern Israel’s Timna mining complex — possibly the location of the legendary King Solomon’s Mines — and Faynan, north of Timna in Jordan’s Arava Valley.

From the 13th to the 10th century BCE, the researchers saw a progressive technical advancement in smelting skills and efficiency methods.

Contrary to popular belief, the mines are not filled with gold or silver, but with copper. Ben-Yosef points to signs of extensive copper manufacturing surrounding the location.

Copper, which was used to create tools, ornaments, and weapons, was a valuable metal in ancient times. Copper was the most lucrative industry.

According to Dr. Mohammad Najjar of Friends of Archaeology of Jordan, copper was 3,000 years ago what crude oil is now: an irreplaceable and priceless commodity.

Najjar calls Humanity’s beginning to manufacture its own materials a “quantum leap.” According to Thought Co., copper was the first metal used by mankind.

According to the Express, Najjar has studied ancient copper processes and showed to a Smithsonian documentary how King Solomon’s men would have worked the natural copper found in the caves.

https://arkeonews.net/