TEHRAN - A massive prehistoric settlement discovered in southern Iran’s Hormozgan province is set to rewrite the history of early human migration to the Iranian Plateau, pushing back evidence of human presence in the region by hundreds of thousands of years.

Archaeological surveys in the “Dehtal” area of Bastak have uncovered one of the most significant and extensive early human settlements ever found in Southern Iran. The discovery provides a profound new window into the distant past, shedding light on the early human dispersal from Africa into Asia.

The site, dating back hundreds of thousands of years, spans a staggering 400 hectares--an area three times larger than the ancient capital of Persepolis. Located in Bastak County, the settlement lies approximately 80 kilometers from the northern shores of the Persian Gulf.

While initial discoveries of stone tools were made at the site by archaeologist Fereidoun Biglari and his team in 2010, recent investigations have revealed its true scale and importance. During the summer and autumn of 2025, a team led by Sepehr Zarei, an archaeologist and Deputy of Cultural Heritage of Hormozgan, collected hundreds of stone tools, cores, and manufacturing debris.

These finds confirm that Paleolithic humans occupied the slopes of “Pereh Lavar” mountain for immense periods, continuously producing their tools from locally available raw stone.

The research team uncovered a rich assemblage of large stone tools, including handaxes, cleavers, and large scrapers. These artifacts are characteristic of the Acheulean culture, which is associated with early human species such as Homo erectus and Homo heidelbergensis.

Commenting on the site’s uniqueness, Biglari of the National Museum of Iran noted, “This is one of the rare Acheulean sites in Iran that contains numerous giant cores. These were used to produce very large flakes, exceeding 20 cm in length, which were then shaped into large cutting tools.”

According to Zarei, the discovery underscores the region’s role not as a mere corridor, but as a vital hub for early human settlement. “This finding fundamentally changes our understanding,” Zarei stated. “It shows that southern Iran was not just a passageway for migrations from Africa to the Iranian Plateau and beyond, but a significant and long-term home for our ancestors.”

He attributed the site’s enduring appeal to its strategic geographical position, access to fresh water, and abundant raw materials for toolmaking, describing it as “one of the most key sites in Paleolithic studies of southern Iran.”

The final conclusions of this landmark discovery will be published following detailed laboratory analysis and comparative studies with other Paleolithic sites across the region. In the meantime, given its critical role in illuminating a poorly understood chapter of Iran’s prehistory, efforts to register the Dehtal site on the National Heritage List are being prioritized by the Hormozgan Cultural Heritage Department and are currently underway.

AM