Archaeologists discovered ancient rock art from an unidentified civilisation at the site of Pire Mazar Balandar in North-east Iran.
The ancient rock art is located within a village and considered as a sacred place. The marking consists of 16 simple symbols, including U-shapes which the local villagers believe are the hoof prints of the horse of the prophet Imam Reza, who is buried at a nearby shrine. Archaeological fieldwork at the site and its vicinity resulted in discovery of a second rock art group, showing anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figures. At present archaeologists are unable to date the engravings or to associate them with any particular culture, but some of the symbols give clues that attribute them to the Bronze Age.
(after International Business Times & Dario Sigari)