TEHRAN -- The recent discovery of seven cave habitations in Mazandaran Province proves that the region was a major residential area in prehistoric times, the Persian service of CHN reported on Tuesday.

The director of the Historical Caves Research Center said that recent archaeological studies in the province between Neka and Behshahr led to the discovery of the caves, where people lived some 12 to 15 thousand years ago.

Ali Mahforuzi added that some evidence of cave habitations was previously observed in the province.

“Several stone and bone tools were found on the floor of the caves, which indicate that these caves were inhabited for a long period of time, and some other items prove that they were inhabited until the Iron Age,” he explained.

Mahforuzi noted that the caves are located almost 1400 meters above sea level.

"Archaeologists believe that after the inhabitants left the caves, they all gathered together to live in one region, and this was how the city of Gohar-Tappeh was established," he said.

Mazandaran is one of Iran’s archaeological poles. Studies show that the region has been inhabited for over 400,000 years.

Urbanization is thought to have developed in the region some time around 3000 BC, and the new findings at Gohar-Tappeh provide further evidence supporting this theory.