SAEDNEWS: Arjan is the name of an ancient city and province belonging to the Middle Elamite period in Iran.
According to Saed News History Service, in the summer of 1982, construction work on the Shahid Maroon Dam in northern Behbahan, Khuzestan Province, came to an unexpected halt when workers encountered an ancient stone tomb.
Archaeologists in Arjan, Behbahan, uncovered a bronze U-shaped coffin adorned with remarkable artifacts both inside and out. Inside the coffin lay Kidin-Hutran I, a prominent Elamite figure, with a golden power ring discovered on his left hand resting on his chest. This ring has since become one of Iran’s most iconic museum pieces and is now preserved at the National Museum of Iran.
In addition to the Arjan power ring, other objects were recovered from the site, including a bronze lamp, a bronze cup, ten cylindrical bronze vessels, ninety-eight golden buttons, and a bronze tray engraved with distinct imagery.
The bronze tray, now known as the Arjan Cup, symbolized Iran’s Olympic team at the Tokyo 2020 Games. Its discovery was a direct result of the dam construction project. Despite this significant find and the historical importance of the Arjan site, the area continued to face threats of destruction and looting in the years that followed.
The Arjan Treasure of Behbahan remains one of Iran’s most remarkable archaeological legacies.
