A collaborative team of French and Iranian archaeologists has unearthed evidence of early human occupation in Iran’s Central Plateau.

Qaleh Kurd Cave in Iran

The discovery at Qaleh Kurd Cave in Qazvin has extended the timeline of human settlement in the region by over 300,000 years, according to research published in the Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology on May 23. This significant finding includes a human deciduous tooth and a rich ᴀssemblage of lithic and faunal materials, providing new insights into early human dispersals and cultural interactions across the region.

The Iranian Central Plateau, flanked by the Alborz and Zagros Mountains, is a critical archaeological area due to its strategic position at the crossroads of the Levant, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and East Asia. This location has historically served as a vital corridor for human migration and interaction during the Pleistocene epoch.

The joint Iranian and French Paleoanthropological Project focused on Qaleh Kurd Cave, situated at the western edge of the Central Plateau near the Zagros Mountains. The excavations revealed that the cave was occupied by humans between approximately 452,000 and 165,000 years ago. This period predates the previously known evidence of human habitation in the area, which had been dated to around 80,000 years ago.

A reconstruction of a Neanderthal child.

Central to this discovery is a human deciduous first upper molar, found in the upper part of the Middle Pleistocene sequence. This tooth, along with a diverse collection of lithic tools and faunal remains, indicates that the cave was recurrently occupied by early Middle Paleolithic cultures. The faunal ᴀssemblage, predominantly composed of horse bones, shows extensive evidence of butchery.

The findings at Qaleh Kurd Cave suggest cultural connections with contemporary ᴀssemblages in the Caucasus and the Levant, and later Middle Paleolithic cultures in the Zagros region. This discovery enriches our understanding of human evolution during the Middle Pleistocene and underscores the significance of the Iranian Plateau as a crossroads for ancient human populations moving between the Levant, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and East Asia.

A researcher from the University of Tehran, who spoke with bne IntelliNews, emphasized the discovery’s importance: “This discovery not only enriches our understanding of human evolution in the Middle Pleistocene but also underscores the significance of the Iranian Plateau as a crossroads for ancient human populations.”

With 27 sites, Iran is among the top 10 countries with the most cultural heritage sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage List and remains a focal point for archaeological research and conservation efforts. While significant discoveries continue to be made, conducting archaeological research in the region is not without challenges. Political instability, logistical issues such as visa restrictions, and environmental factors like increasing rainfall pose threats to archaeological sites.

Despite the challenges, each discovery, such as the 450,000-year-old tooth at Qaleh Kurd Cave, reaffirms the region’s pivotal role in the mosaic of human history.

More information: Vahdati Nasab, H., Berillon, G., Hashemi, S.M. et al. (2024). Qaleh Kurd Cave (Qazvin, Iran): Oldest Evidence of Middle Pleistocene Hominin Occupations and a Human Deciduous Tooth in the Iranian Central Plateau. J Paleo Arch 7, 16. doi:10.1007/s41982-024-00180-4