Tehran, January 4 : A team of archaeologists has unearthed an ancient coffin bearing a skeleton of a child buried in a Parthian mound in Khuzestan Province, southwestern Iran.

The team, which had previously been assigned to demarcate the site, found the coffin in mid December after the recent heavy rainfall removed the earth from the coffin, Khuzestan Cultural Heritage Enthusiasts Society (Taryana) spokesman Mojtaba Gahestuni told the Persian service of the Mehr News Agency.

According to a report in Tehran Times, an intact pottery jar and several other artifacts were also buried along with the child in the coffin.

The report did not specify the material used in making the coffin, however it did clarify that the casket along with its contents have been transferred to a governmental organization in the province.

The archaeological team led by Mohsen Hosseini also discovered many intact pieces of pottery and a large number of shards at the mound, leading them to surmise that most likely, there was a large pottery workshop at the site during the Parthian era. (ANI)