Wednesday, January 13, 2010

In the field: Iran wishes to investigate Cambyses find

presstv.ir

There is no indication as to whether the Egyptian government has given the ok to Iran to study the remains. It seems unlikely.

A group of Iranian archeologists is planning to go to Egypt to study the remains of a great Persian army in the Sahara desert.

Iran's Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization (ICHTO) Hamid Baqaei announced on Sunday that Egypt had agreed for the Iranian group to conduct studies there.

Two Italian brothers claimed to have found the remains of a great army sent by the Persian King Cambyses II to attack the Oasis of Siwa 2,500 years ago.

Egypt's chief archeologist Zahi Hawass, however, rejected the discovery as "unfounded and misleading," adding that as the Italian brothers had not been granted legal permission to excavate in Egypt their claims of having made a discovery was not credible.

"We have sent a letter to Egyptian cultural heritage officials and they have implicitly confirmed the existence of the remains of the Persian army," IRNA quoted Baqaei as saying.

"They have also stated that the finds belong to the Egyptian government."

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