TEHRAN – Digging archaeological trenches around Genil hill in Harsin county of Kermanshah province, have led to the identification of a site from the Neolithic period.

Archaeologists have also found that this area was among the first rural settlements formed in the central Zagros region.

According to ISNA, and as announced by the Research Institute of Cultural Heritage and Tourism, the speculation at Genil hill was aimed at determining its extent and proposing its [legal] boundaries.

The work was conducted with the permission of the Research Institute and with financial support from the Kermanshah Department of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts.

Hojjat Darabi, the head of the Genil hill archaeological team and a faculty member of the Archaeology Department at Razi University, explained: “To determine the extent of Genil, 20 exploratory trenches were excavated around it, which revealed that this site dates back to the Neolithic period and covers an area of approximately 1 hectare.”

“Genil hill was first identified during a field study in the summer of 1977 by the late Danish archaeologist Peder Mortensen and Canadian archaeologist Philip Smith. However, their survey was left unfinished, and they did not reach the undisturbed soil in their limited excavation."

Nevertheless, the [new] results indicate that Genil contains evidence and deposits from both pottery and pre-pottery Neolithic periods, placing it among the first villages formed in the central Zagros.

Given the high significance of this site in archaeology on one hand, and the related threats and damages such as soil removal and leveling by some individuals on the other, a program of exploratory trenching to determine its extent and boundaries was proposed and fortunately implemented, the archaeologist noted.

 “This aims to prevent further destruction and to preserve this valuable site for potential future research to study the nature of the beginnings of village life and agriculture in the central Zagros.”

The Neolithic period marked the final stage of cultural evolution and technological development among prehistoric humans. It was characterized by stone tools shaped through polishing or grinding, dependence on domesticated plants and animals, settlement in permanent villages, and the emergence of crafts such as pottery and weaving. The Neolithic followed the Paleolithic Period, known for chipped-stone tools, and preceded the Bronze Age, the early period of metal tools.

The Neolithic stage of development was achieved during the Holocene Epoch (the last 11,700 years of Earth's history). The exact starting point of the Neolithic is debated, as different parts of the world reached this stage at different times. It is generally believed to have occurred around 10,000 BC. During this time, humans learned to cultivate crops and domesticate livestock, reducing their dependence on hunting, fishing, and gathering wild plants. Neolithic cultures produced more effective stone tools by grinding and polishing hard rocks instead of merely chipping softer ones into shape. The cultivation of cereal grains enabled Neolithic peoples to build permanent dwellings and form villages. This shift away from a nomadic, hunting-gathering economy allowed them time to pursue specialized crafts.

Archaeological evidence indicates that the transition from food-collecting cultures to food-producing ones gradually occurred across Asia and Europe, originating in the Fertile Crescent. The earliest evidence of cultivation and animal domestication in southwestern Asia dates to roughly 9500 BC, suggesting these activities may have begun even earlier.

AM