Official urges action on ancient Kermanshah site
The deputy director general of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization of Kermanshah Province has highlighted the need for coordinated action among several governmental agencies following the discovery of a one-million-year-old archaeological site in 2021 in Kermanshah.
Speaking to ISNA, Kiumars Khani La’labadi said that over the past four years authorities have succeeded in confirming the site’s historical significance. During this period, the location underwent several rounds of archaeological excavations, and last year — after boundaries were defined, protected zones established, and documentation completed — it was officially added to Iran’s National Heritage List.
Khani La’labadi described the site as a major tourism asset for the province. Covering more than 300 hectares, much of the land falls under the ownership of various provincial bodies, including the police force, IRIB, and the Department of Roads and Urban Development, among others.
He noted that the site has the potential to be transformed into an open-air Paleolithic museum, but such a project would require full cooperation from all agencies that hold portions of the land. Given its exceptional size and antiquity, he said, the site offers a rare opportunity to showcase how early humans lived and to display the artifacts unearthed so far.
Achieving this goal would also require significant funding, he added — resources that could be secured through a long-term plan involving the municipality, the Provincial Management and Planning Organization, the governor’s office, and the provincial cultural heritage authority.
Khani La’labadi stated that the province has studied examples of similar museum sites in Europe and is working toward developing an appropriate content plan for the one-million-year-old Paleolithic area in Kermanshah.
He emphasized that turning the site into a museum would be a cultural investment for the city — one that is feasible if provincial officials and relevant agencies cooperate and funding is provided.
The one-million-year-old Paleolithic site — located south of Kermanshah between Pardis and Imam Khomeini townships — was discovered in 2021 by Saman Gooran, an archeologist from Kermanshah. The area spans roughly 320 hectares, of which 150 hectares constitute the protected zone. Its boundaries were established in 2024.