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Cyrus the Great tomb needs constant monitoring of moisture

The Parseh and Pasargadae Research Foundation director has called for constant vigilance against soil moisture, which is threatening the tomb of Cyrus the Great in Pasargadae.

The foundation has prepared a plan to constantly monitor the soil moisture at the site in the southern province of Fars, Mohammad-Hassan Talebian told the Persian service of CHN on Tuesday.

The plan would be approved and then financed by the Research Center of the Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization, he added.

“According to the plan, a hygrometer and recording instruments would be installed at the site to monitor the moisture level of the soil beneath the tomb’s base,” Talebian explained.

“The device is not cheap and it’s not adequate in itself. A number of comprehensive studies also need to be carried out by international experts,” he noted.

Many believe that the construction of the Sivand Dam, completed in early 2007, created the moisture problem. Unfortunately, the reservoir formed by the dam, located in the Bolaghi Valley, which begins about four kilometers from Pasargadae, is threatening about 130 important archaeological sites.

Read entire article at Tehran Times