A joint team of Iranian and French archaeologists has announced the discovery of a sealed royal treasury within a 14th-century BCE administrative complex in the province of Khuzestan. The chamber, which remained untouched by looters, contains a significant hoard of lapis lazuli ornaments, carved ivory panels, and bronze scepters inlaid with precious stones, all belonging to the Middle Elamite period.
The treasury provides unprecedented data on the wealth and diplomatic reach of the Elamite monarchs, as many of the items show clear artistic influences from the Kassite and Hittite empires. Scholars are particularly excited by a series of cylinder seals that appear to record the personal inventory of a royal treasurer, listing assets that include hundreds of kilograms of semi-precious stones imported from the Hindu Kush.