イラン水中考古学者が水中ロボで調査

イランの研究者が主体となり水中ロボット（ROV)を開発しました。これは水中考古学調査のために使われます。まず、Takht-e Soleiman湖で実験として発掘や写真撮影を行いました。

この後、AD１０世紀に栄えたシラフ港の一部が水没しているため調査が行われます。ペルシャ湾の調査には有効に使え。またオイルを探すにも使えるとのこと。

今では水中考古学調査でROVを使うのはごく一般的ですが、イランで使われるのは初めて。この発明によりイランの水中考古学調査がさらに飛躍的に前進したターニングポイントとして考えらるでしょう。

8/10/06
Robots to Explore Archeological Sites under Persian Gulf

Tehran, 10 August 2006 (CHN) — A robotic vehicle is to be sent deep into the Persian Gulf to excavate the area under the waters, searching for the parts of the Siraf Port drowned over time as the water advanced to the shoreline.

For the first time in Iran, an Iranian researcher invented a robot, capable of searching under the waters. It was first taken to the Takht-e Soleiman Lake to be tested. “Since we did not know what to expect under the lake, we sent an alternative robot as we were afraid it might get stuck in the mud and large objects hidden there and therefore not be able to come out,” said Abdolali Saberi, the inventor of the robot. This robot excavated an area bout 60 meters in size below the surface of the Lake and took some pictures. “The uneven sediments shown in the pictures indicate the possible existence of a hill under the Lake. However, more studies are still needed to verify the case,” added Saberi. This was the first step to move into a larger body of water, the Persian Gulf, for further excavations.

The first target is the ancient Siraf Port, located 250 kilometers southeast of Bushehr in Hormozgan province, parts of which have been submerged in water. The port was once a booming trade center in the 10th century AD.

Saberi said that considering the depth of the Persian Gulf, using this robot is the best way to gain access to some valuable information about the wealth of resources that exist under the Persian Gulf. According to him, this robot can also be used for oil exploration proposes under the waters.

Although the use of robots in underwater archeology is now commonly practiced, this is the first time that the Iranian archeologists have applied such tool for their research. Thus the invention of this robot can be considered a turning point in moving to more systematic archeological studies in Iran.

引用元：http://www.payvand.com/news/06/aug/1118.html