Archaeologists Find Traces of Neanderthals in Western Iran

Head of an Iranian archaeologist team involved in discovering and preserving the ancient layers of Ashkoft region of Kermanshah province, Elham Qasidian, said the main achievement of the team has been the discovery of some stoneware known as Mousterian Zagros in Ashkoft Cave.

The new discoveries reveal that Neanderthals had advanced into Eslamabad Plain in western Iran during Paleolithic era, Qasidian was quoted as saying in a Farsi report by Tasnim News Agency.

According to Qasidian, the archaeological project in Ashkoft region is part of a long-term plan to discover and reconstruct the historical lifestyle in one of the most key regions of Iran Plain. The project is supported by the Iranian government as wells as Cambridge University.

She referred to the rigorous studies conducted to discover and document the ancient places in Kermanshah province and added at least 265 caves and rocky shelters have been discovered in 6 towns in the west part of the province including 100 ancient places in Eslamabad.

The Iranian archeologist also said one of the main findings of the team is that Eslamabad-e Gharb region is located exactly between two Paleolithic poles of the country i.e. Kermanshah Plain and Khorramabad Plain.

“Eslamabad-e Gharb Plain had been used as a cultural corridor between Kermanshah and Khorramabad plains,” she noted.

Qasidian went on saying archeological studies reveal that there had been extensive cultural exchanges between the two poles through Eslamabad-e Gharb Plain.

She said the archeological team has also identified three historical phases in the region. “Studies show that Ashkoft Cave had been used during the middle and contemporary phases of the region as a contemporary center for hunting.”