Tehran – Head of the Cultural Heritage Division of South Khorasan, Ahmad Barabadi, has given the news of the beginning of an archaeological ditch on the Paleolithic site in Sarayan County, eastern Iran.
According to Irib, he said Operation Trenching was launched with permission from the Ministry of Cultural Heritage Institute.
Based on previous research, he noted that the site contains sequences from the Upper Paleolithic to the Middle Paleolithic period.
He also said, “According to a preliminary assessment, this Paleolithic site, which extends over 100 hectares, could significantly change the understanding of the first residents of this part of the Iranian plateau.”
Following the end of the work of American anthropologist Carlton Stevens Kuhn, Barabady continued that no ditch operations were undertaken at Paleolithic sites on the eastern plateaus of Iran until the mid-20th century.
He said this is the first time this kind of research has begun in South Holasan in 70 years, expressing hope that the implementation of the project would define the paleolithic precincts and prevent more destruction.
Also, Ali Sadrey, a caretaker of the research team, said unlike some key sites in the Nebuka-shaped central Iranian Heights, the paleolithic system of the country generally has a different form, comparable to the open site on the south coast of Perth Bazin.
He added: “And to understand the status of the site accurately, the first step is to systematically investigate the site’s surface and record the general distribution area of stone tools. Some of this operating stage has been completed so far, and this part of the operation is primarily carried out without removing stone tools to minimize site damage.”
“This method will help you better understand the concentration of settlements in Paleolithic locations and the diversity of stone available, and will also prepare a roadmap to continue trench operations, minimizing damage.”
He expressed that by continuing this operation and subsequent research, they hope to achieve an accurate chronology of this site, ending the tragedy of absolute ancient lack from sites in eastern Iran and helping to accurately understand the state of Hymonin in eastern Iran.
KD