West Azarbaijan emerges as key region for Paleolithic research
West Azarbaijan Province is an important region for studying the history of human presence in Iran during the Paleolithic period. Its numerous caves and archaeological sites have yielded stone tools, animal remains and evidence of ancient toolmaking technologies, offering valuable insights into the lives of prehistoric human groups and their adaptation to different environments.
Behrouz Khanmohammadi, an archaeologist with the West Azarbaijan Province’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization, has highlighted the province’s key Paleolithic sites and their significance for understanding the history of early human settlement in northwestern Iran.
One of the earliest archaeological investigations into Iran’s Middle Paleolithic period was conducted by Carlton Coon at Tamtaman Cave, approximately 20 kilometers north of Urmia. Coon, who had excavated several caves across the Iranian Plateau, investigated the site and uncovered animal remains alongside a number of stone artefacts.
The animal remains consisted mainly of deer and gazelle, although remains of zebra, wild horse, wild boar and vulture were also identified. These discoveries provide evidence of the fauna present in the area and contribute to understanding the environmental context of human activity during the Middle Paleolithic.
Fragments of a femur found at the cave initially led Coon to suggest that the bones might belong to Neanderthals. Subsequent examinations, however, established that they belonged to deer. Based on the available evidence, the assemblage is tentatively attributed to the Middle Paleolithic and dates back at least around 40,000 years.
The Shiwatoo site near Mahabad is among the significant Lower Paleolithic sites in West Azarbaijan Province and the southern Lake Urmia region. Located approximately seven kilometres southwest of Mahabad on a terrace of the Mahabad River, the site covers an estimated area of one hectare.
Shiwatoo was identified and investigated through archaeological surveys, including work by a joint Iranian-French team and research conducted by Rahmat Naderi and Alipour. A considerable number of stone artefacts were collected and transferred to the National Museum of Iran.
Analysis of the artefacts’ technological and typological characteristics has raised the possibility that the site contains evidence of an Acheulean industry. Associated with the Lower Paleolithic, this stone-tool tradition spans an approximate period from 700,000 to 300,000 years ago.
The site could help researchers better understand the distribution of early human groups and investigate possible routes through which they moved from western regions into the interior of the Iranian Plateau.
The Shahrikand site was discovered in 2006 in southern West Azarbaijan. It is situated on a terrace of the Simineh River, which forms part of the Lake Urmia drainage basin.
Although only a limited number of stone artefacts have been recovered at Shahrikand, their technological and typological characteristics can be compared with finds from Shiwatoo near Mahabad. Researchers have therefore raised the possibility that the site dates to the Lower Paleolithic. Further investigation could help clarify the distribution of sites from this period around the southern shores of Lake Urmia.
In Maku, recent surveys led to the identification of stone artefacts in Milan site. The assemblage consists of four separate concentrations containing approximately 100 stone tools and other stone artefacts.
Based on their technological characteristics, the finds have been attributed to the Middle Paleolithic. Their study could provide additional information about stone-tool production and the distribution of human groups in northern West Azarbaijan.
Another site, Kasehgaran village in Piranshahr, has yielded stone tools attributed to the Middle Paleolithic. The artefacts were recovered during rescue excavations associated with the Kani Sib Dam project.
The discoveries highlight the importance of archaeological investigations across the province, particularly in areas at risk of disturbance from infrastructure and development projects.
The Takab and the surroundings of Takht-e Soleyman are also important for Paleolithic research in West Azarbaijan. Surveys by Saman Heydari Guran and Elham Qasidian led to the identification of two open-air sites containing evidence of Middle Paleolithic activity near the historic Takht-e Soleyman complex.
Stone artefacts recovered from the sites display characteristics of the Mousterian industry, a tradition associated with Neanderthal toolmaking and other human populations of the Middle Paleolithic. The assemblages also contain flakes produced using the Levallois technique, a specialized method of preparing stone cores to produce flakes of controlled shapes and dimensions.
The sites’ elevation is another notable feature: both lie at more than 2,300 metres above sea level, placing them among Iran’s high-altitude Paleolithic sites. Their investigation could help researchers understand how prehistoric human groups occupied and adapted to mountainous environments.
Evidence from caves and open-air sites across West Azarbaijan underscores the province’s importance for studying human presence and activity during the Paleolithic. The geographical diversity of these locations, from plains and river terraces to high mountain areas, provides opportunities to examine how early human groups adapted to different landscapes.
Further analysis of stone artefacts, animal remains and the geographical settings of the sites could shed light on ancient toolmaking technologies, subsistence strategies and patterns of human movement during different prehistoric periods. Comparisons with archaeological evidence from neighboring regions could also help researchers investigate possible connections between human populations in West Asia and the interior of the Iranian Plateau.
Continued fieldwork, more precise dating of archaeological finds and the protection of prehistoric sites remain essential to advancing research into the region’s early human history. The evidence uncovered in West Azarbaijan Province could contribute significantly to a broader understanding of the earliest stages of human settlement in Iran.