TEHRAN - Archaeologists have discovered a child’s tooth dating back 180,000 years in Qaleh Kord cave, situated in Qazvin, during the fifth season of archaeological excavations at the site.

Hamed Vahdati-Nasab, the head of the excavation team, announced the new finding on Monday, mentioning that another Neanderthal child’s tooth, dating historical roots back to some 175,000 years ago, was previously discovered during the second season of excavations at this site.

“Additionally, dating conducted in 2019 revealed that the cave itself is approximately 455,000 years old, indicating its significant historical importance,” he noted.
Since then, Vahdati-Nasab further explained, the team has dug deeper into the cave layers, uncovering more sediment, which suggests that future dating results might reveal even older timelines for the site.

This season’s excavations have included a new trench to investigate the cave’s stratigraphy more thoroughly, the archaeologist brought to light.

One of the most exciting recent discoveries, according to Vahdati-Nasab, is child’s tooth, approximately 180,000 years old. “However, it remains unclear whether the tooth belonged to a Neanderthal or a Homo sapiens child,” he stated.

“If it is confirmed to be Neanderthal, it would mark the fifth such discovery on the Iranian plateau,” the archaeologist further elaborated. “If the tooth belongs to a Homo sapiens, it would be extraordinary, as no remains of this age for Homo sapiens have been found in this region before.”

He pinpointed that the team also discovered remains of various animals during the excavation, including hyenas, boars, and bears. As with previous seasons, Vahdati-Nasab underscored, equid remains were the most abundant, and stone tools were found across all excavation layers.

Vahdati-Nasab expressed hope that with continued support from the cultural heritage, tourism, and handicrafts organization of Qazvin province, the excavations at Qaleh Kord cave will continue for several more seasons.
XF/AM