SAEDNEWS: The Triumphant Return of Persepolis’ 2,500-Year-Old Guardian!
According to the History and Culture section of Saed News, in the depths of the adventurous and mysterious excavations at Persepolis in 1931, Iranian and foreign archaeologists and workers, under the supervision of Ernst Herzfeld from the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, made one of the most astonishing discoveries in Iranian history. During those years, the ancient site of Pars (Persepolis), after centuries buried beneath rubble, dust, and soil, was gradually revealing its secrets.
The image above is a rare and breathtaking record of those historic moments: the unearthing of the colossal Achaemenid “Griffin” statue from the earth that had embraced it for more than 23 centuries. The griffin, a mythical creature with the head of an eagle and the body of a lion, symbolizes power, guardianship, and a connection to the divine in Iranian mythology. These magnificent creatures, used in the main columns of structures such as the Apadana, were tasked with protecting the palace and representing royal grandeur.
The statue depicted in the photo, with its majesty even amidst piles of earth and the laborers, reflects the artistic genius of the eras of Darius and Xerxes. The weary yet joyful faces of the workers standing deep in the excavation pit, along with onlookers peering from the edge of the mound, capture the moment when the “past” suddenly rises from the “earth,” and history comes alive before the eyes of its witnesses.
This discovery not only revealed a new dimension of Achaemenid architecture and art but also marked the beginning of a new chapter in scientific excavations at Persepolis, reaffirming Iran’s place as a cradle of ancient civilizations. The griffin, as if waiting for its moment of resurrection, continues today to whisper its silent secrets to history, standing as one of the enduring symbols of ancient Iranian art in the Persepolis museum and site.
