According to Biglari, the discovery was made on a mountaintop above 2400 m above sea level, not far from Shah Moalem, one of the highest peaks in the Talesh Mountains of Gilan.
He said that this important discovery was made during the final phase of the archaeological survey of the Core Zone of Masuleh, which started last year in September 2021. During investigating the site, we found traces of the settlement of the late Neolithic period, which is about seven thousand years old.
The discovery shows that the late Neolithic herders used the pastures of these mountain tops to graze their herds. He added that this site is the oldest and highest seasonal settlement of prehistoric herders that have been identified so far in the south of the Caspian sea. According to Biglari, the finds include pottery sherds, animal bones, and stone tools that are currently being studied by various experts.
According to Mostafa Pourali, General Director of the Office for Inscription of Properties and Revitalization of Intangible and Natural Heritage, the Masouleh Core Zone Archaeological Survey Project was carried out as part of the efforts to prepare the necessary data to inscribe the “Cultural landscape of the historical city of Masouleh” on the World Heritage List.
He added since September 2021, 39 archaeological sites have been discovered in the Core Zone of Masouleh by the team of archaeologists under the direction of Fereidoun Biglari that date back to different periods of prehistoric, historic, and Islamic eras.
According to Pourali, an ICOMOS/UNESCO evaluator and cultural heritage expert will be examining the city and its cultural landscape next October to evaluate its competence and preparation for the final decision of UNESCO.
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