TEHRAN -- The third phase of the archaeological excavation of the ancient Maryan area in the northern Province of Gilan has started with the aim of conducting a scientific research on the inhabitants of this ancient area. Maryan area measuring 400 hectares is entirely covered by stone tombs and with an antiquity of 3,500 years is considered as one of the largest graveyards of Stone Age. According to IRANA, the first phase of research in this ancient area was conducted 80 years ago by a French archaeologist, Jacques De Morgan, experts believe that the articles discovered from this ancient area denote the presence of ethnic from the second half of the second millennium BC up to Sassanid and Islamic era. The supervisor to the excavation group, Mohammadreza Khalatbari said, "In the Iron Age, the ethnic who spread over a wide area of Iran and Gilan, due to the special ecological and natural characteristics of the region, had stayed at the most northern point of this ancient area known as Tondabin. Based on the research conducted by the excavators, the first inhabitants of this area lived the life of pastors and animal breeders, and their economy depended on animal products. The ancient Maryan area is located to the southeast of Talesh, Hashtpar in the southern Karganrud territory.