TEHRAN--Targeted paleolithic studies, supported by North Khorasan Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department, began in the Esfarayen and Safiabad plains, during which valuable evidence of the presence of hunter-gatherer societies in this region was identified for the first time.

According to IRIB, Head of North Khorasan Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department Ahmad Dinari said that North Khorasan has always been considered one of the key areas in the prehistoric studies of the Iranian Plateau due to its specific geographical location.

The location of this province on the border of the Iranian Plateau and the plains of Central Asia has made it an important passageway for early human groups, he added.

Dinari also said that despite the valuable evidence of sites such as Qaleh Khan Hill and Pahlavan Hill, the question has always been raised as how long human presence in North Khorasan dates back; a question that has remained unanswered until now due to the lack of targeted Paleolithic studies. 

Referring to the start of these studies last summer, he stated that during these studies, the Esfarayen and Safiabad plains were selected as the first target areas, and the results of the surveys identified 24 Paleolithic sites, which indicate the extensive activity of hunter-gatherer groups in this area.

Dinari stated that based on initial assessments, evidence of the Old Paleolithic and the Middle Pleistocene eras’ axe-tool industry has been identified in five sites, which are comparable in terms of technical characteristics to the Kashafrud collections.

He continued that in the Middle Paleolithic period, the number of sites increases to 13.

According to him, one site has been identified in the Neo-Paleolithic period and five sites in the Epipaleolithic period, which confirms the continuity of human settlement in Esfarayen and Safiabad plains from the Middle Pleistocene to the beginning of the Holocene.

Emphasizing the importance of the results of these studies, Dinari noted that these findings showed that the lack of previous evidence of hunter-gatherer societies in North Khorasan was not due to the lack of human presence, but rather due to the lack of specialized research in this area.

He expressed hope: “By continuing these studies and expanding paleolithic research, we can present a clear and scientific picture of the position of North Khorasan in the prehistoric studies of the Iranian plateau.”

KD