Iran excavates 7,000-year-old prehistoric village under Dehdasht city

Iranian archaeologists have discovered traces of an ancient village dating back about 7,000 years hidden under the architectural layers of the historic city of Dehdasht, opening up important data about the Neolithic period and the formation of early urban areas in southwestern Iran.

Archaeological evidence shows that an ancient village dating back to the 5th-6th millennium BC existed right under the center of the medieval historic city of Beladshapur, in the present-day city of Dehdasht, said Zabihollah Masoudinia, head of the excavation team.

The head of the archaeological excavation in Dehdasht has announced that the village exists right under the center of the historic medieval city of Beladshapur. (Source: Tabnak)

According to Mr. Masoudinia, this is the first archaeological research ever carried out at Dehdasht.

After removing the medieval and late Islamic architectural layers, archaeologists discovered prehistoric cultural layers with pottery, household materials and traces of early architecture, dating back to about 5,000 BC.

One notable discovery was heated stones, suggesting that prehistoric people used the technique of placing hot stones in containers to warm water or milk – a heating technology typical of the Neolithic period.

Aerial photographs taken in 1956 showed an archaeological mound near the ancient Dehdasht hotel, but later urbanization had distorted the terrain, Mr. Masoudinia said.

However, the current excavation has helped to reconstruct some of the scale and layout of this prehistoric site. Many modern streets, houses and alleys have been identified as being built right on the foundation of the ancient mound.

The archaeological team also found remnants of the qanat system – Iran’s traditional underground water technology – in the northern part of the city, contributing to clarifying the long-term and continuous residence of the community here through many periods.

Researchers say the discovery is significant in reconstructing the history of the Dehdasht region, which lies on an ancient trade route connecting the Iranian plateau with the Persian Gulf, and helps expand understanding of early agricultural societies in the Middle East.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/iran-khai-quat-ngoi-lang-tien-su-7000-nam-tuoi-duoi-long-thanh-pho-dehdasht-336928.html