TEHRAN, Sept. 22 (MNA) -- A team of archaeologists has recently discovered 24 graves dating back 3000 years during salvage excavations at the Galabar Dam reservoir in Zanjan Province, central northwest Iran.

The graves have been found in two Iron Age cemeteries which had been located previously. They have also identified numerous residential areas dating back to the same period as the graves near the ruins of a castle. The castle was built during the Parthian era (circa 250 BC-224 CE) and is also known to have been used during the early Islamic era.

The team has also salvaged many pottery and bronze artifacts, which are considered to be typical Iron Age III relics (c.750–c.550 BC).

“The Iron Age area consists of four tepes, two of which are conjoined and two separate at a distance of 100 meters from each other,” team director Abolfazl Aali told the Persian service of CHN on Saturday.

Much evidence of burials has been discovered in the area of the tepes. In addition, members of the team are currently excavating one of the mounds which has been found to contain architectural strata.

The team has previously discovered 6000-year-old skeletons of four children buried in a prehistoric manner in graves in the floors of the rooms of several houses.

In addition, grey and red pottery artifacts belonging to the First Iron Age (c. 1300–c.1000 BC) have been unearthed.

The filling of the dam with water began early last March and all these archaeological sites are gradually being devoured by the Galabar River.