During the last two decades, there have been important Lower Paleolithic discoveries in western Asia in regions such as the Levant, the Caucasus, and Pakistan pushing the evidence for the earliest hominid occupation in the region back to about 1 to 2 million years ago (Bar-Yosef 1998 and references therein).

 

In terms of Lower Paleolithic occupation, Iran is one of the least-known regions in western Asia with only a handful of evidence including some core-chopper assemblages from gravel deposits along Ladiz, Mashkid, and Kashafrud rivers in eastern Iran and some surface occurrences and isolated finds of both core-chopper and Acheulian industries from the west and north-western parts of the Zagros region.

 

Ganj Par is a Lower Paleolithic site located in the Gilan Province in northern Iran. Located on an old western terrace of the Sefid-Rud River, the site was discovered by a team of archaeologists from the Center for Paleolithic Research of the National Museum of Iran in 2002. The Lower Paleolithic cave site of Darband Cave is located at east of Ganj Par.

 

The evidence for the Acheulian industry in Iran consists of a few examples of bifaces as isolated finds or in association with chopping tool industries from the Zagros region. Two of these bifaces are single finds from Quri Goll north-east of the Lake Urmia, and Gakia in the Kermanshah region. Two other are surface assemblages from Amar Merdeg in the Mehran Plain, and Pal Barik at Holailan. Of these, Holailan bifaces are in doubt and seem to be Levallois cores.

 

Against such limited background, a recent discovery of an Acheulian occurrence with a rich lithic assemblage in northern Iran provides us with an opportunity to examine the strongest evidence for Lower Palaeolithic occupation so far discovered in Iran.

 

During the second season of joint Iranian-Japanese archaeological excavation in September 2002 at the historic site of Jalaliyeh in the western edge of Rostamabad plain, two of the authors (Biglari & Heydari) had the opportunity to carry out a brief survey of the surrounding area. While examining the surface of the Jalaliyeh mound, Biglari found a chert flake, prompting him to have a closer examination of the area. In an almost flat open area located just to the south of the mound a lithic scatter was found which yielded a lower Palaeolithic assemblage characterized by the presence of large cutting tools in association with cores and other debitage.

 

The site, called Ganj Par, is located on the western edge of the fluvial plain of Rostamabad at an elevation of about 235m commanding the deep dissected valley of Kaluraz tributary river, where it opens to the Sefidrud valley. The Sefidrud River, which in an almost south-north direction flows into the Caspian Sea, is about 2km to the east of the site.

 

The geomorphology of the Rostamabad region has been briefly described by Maeomoku (2003). He distinguished five terraces at the western part of the plain. Ganj Par lithic scatter is located at altitudes between 225-235m and may have been reworked from deposits of older terraces.

 

During three visits to the site in 2002-2003 more than 100 artifacts were collected in an area of about 0.5 hectare. Almost half of the assemblage is made from limestone. Of other pieces, large proportions are made from silicified sandstone and volcanic rocks such as tuff, andesite and basalt. There are also some cherts and other rock types.

 

The assemblage is composed of high frequencies of core-choppers, along with heavy-duty scrapers, bifaces (handaxes, cleavers, and a trihedral pick), cores, and flakes. 

 

Bifaces are generally thick and crudely made and some of them have a form intermediate between chopper and biface. The collection lacks spheroid and polyhedron.

 

Lithic assemblages similar to Ganj Par are unknown from Lower Paleolithic sites of Iran and its neighboring regions. But there are some similarities between Ganj Par and those known from the early Acheulian assemblages.

 

The Ganj Par evidence suggests that migrating Acheulian groups probably made their way into the northern Alborz foothills from the north-west along the ancient Caspian shores. However, the possibility of a southern arrival from the Zagros range and the Central Plateau of Iran can not be excluded as the narrow Sefid Rud valley provides a major route from the north-western part of the Iranian plateau to the western Caspian lowland. (Source: Circle of Ancient Iranian Studies)