THE SANCTUARY AND CEMETERY OF SHAMI RESEARCH OF THE IRANIAN-ITALIAN JOINT EXPEDITION IN KHUZISTAN AT KAL-E CHENDAR

At Kal-e Chendar, in the valley of Shami (Iranian Khuzestan), traces of one of the most important sanctuaries of Hellenistic and Parthian Elymais were accidentally discovered at the beginning of the 19th century. The site was investigated for few days in 1936 by the famous explorer Aurel Stein, who wasfortuitouslyinformed of the discovery of a well-preserved and now wellknown bronze statue, portraying a nobleman in Parthian dress, kept in the Iran Bastan Museum (Tehran). Stein brought to light the remains of a rectangular building of unclear purpose, but despite the importance of these findings, no further research was systematically carried out.