TEHRAN -- Professor Kidong Bae and several outstanding South Korean archeologists are currently in Iran to prepare for a joint summer research project with Iranian experts in Gilan province.

Professor Kidong Bae who is the project’s co-director and director of Hanyang University’s Institute of Cultural Properties gave some details about their project at a press conference held here on Tuesday.
He said that during his previous talks with the officials of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization (CHTHO), a memorandum of understanding (MoU) had been signed between the Korean and Iranian parties in order to carry out the joint program.
He went on to say that the first phase of the assignment had been carried out last summer when Korean and Iranian archaeologists had performed research at the site in Gilan province which had led to some new findings.
Prof. Bae continued, “We surveyed more than 20 locations last summer and found some very rich Iron Age sites in the caves near the Samdor Valley.
“The most important finding was the Yarshalman cave site which yielded a Mousterian scraper and also some embedded animal fossils were discovered in the limestone. This is a totally new finding in this province and it is believed that there will be more signs of Paleolithic remains in this region,” he added.
On being asked why he had chosen to carry out an archaeological project in Gilan, he explained, “I aimed at finding a very ancient Paleolithic site which would provide significant evidence for hominine dispersal into Central and Northeastern Asia. This is a new proposition in understanding early human migration into Eastern Asia.”
The professor later expressed his pleasure over finding some valuable clues to the existence of Paleolithic culture and human migration in Gilan province in the 2007 project.
Professor Kim, Byung-mo, honorary member of ICOM (International Council of Museums) and Prof. Cho, You-Jeon, head of Korea’s Land Museum also attended the press conference.
The team of nine Korean and eight Iranian archaeologists were scheduled to begin the project in January but it was postponed due to heavy snow in the region. The task will be resumed in June and July 2008.