3 September 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Archaeologists Discover 40,000-Year-Old Evidence of Neanderthal Habitation in Ghamari Cave, Iran

Iranian archaeologists have made a groundbreaking discovery in Ghamari Cave (also known as Qamari Cave), located near Khorramabad in Lorestan Province, revealing evidence of human habitation dating back between 40,000 and 80,000 years.

Ghamari Cave has garnered attention due to its rich stratigraphy and the evidence of human habitation spanning from the Middle Paleolithic to the Chalcolithic periods.

The excavation, which commenced on February 12, has unearthed a wealth of artifacts, including stone tools, animal bones, and pottery, providing vital insights into the region’s prehistoric past.

Ata Hassanpour, the director-general of Lorestan’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Department, announced on Monday that the findings strongly suggest the presence of Neanderthals in the area. Among the discoveries are stone tools, remains of hunted animals such as ibex and deer, and evidence of fire use.

In addition to these significant finds, painted and red pottery shards from the Chalcolithic period, over 5,500 years ago, were also uncovered, indicating that the cave continued to be used by herders long after the initial habitation. Artifacts from the Iron Age, Seleucid, and Parthian periods were also found, showcasing the site’s long history of human activity.

Hassanpour highlighted the discovery of a nearby rock shelter, which contains evidence of habitation from both the Middle Paleolithic and Chalcolithic periods. This shelter was likely used concurrently with Ghamari Cave, offering new insights into human adaptation and settlement patterns in western Iran.

The significance of the findings was further emphasized by Sonia Shidrang from Shahid Beheshti University, who noted that the rock shelter yielded traces of habitation that provide a deeper understanding of early human life in the region. The pottery fragments from the Chalcolithic period, including painted buff ware and red ware, suggest the presence of early pastoralist communities.

Ghamari Cave. Credit: Fereidoun Biglari

Ghamari Cave has been explored previously, first by American archaeologist Frank Hole in 1965 and later by Behrouz Bazgir in 2011, both of whom recognized its archaeological importance. The recent discoveries reinforce the cave’s status as a crucial site for understanding cultural and biological evolution in Iran and the broader Middle Eastern region.

“The new findings, including rich evidence of Neanderthal settlement in the area, have made the cave a focal point for the study of cultural and biological developments in Lorestan and western Iran,” Hassanpour stated.

The cave’s archaeological significance lies in its diverse assemblage of artifacts, which includes not only stone tools indicative of early human technology but also faunal remains that suggest a subsistence strategy involving hunting and gathering. The presence of Neanderthal-related artifacts provides critical insights into the behavioral and cultural practices of early hominins in this region.

Moreover, the discovery of pottery shards from the Chalcolithic period indicates a continuity of use, suggesting that the cave served as a habitation site for pastoralist communities long after the initial Neanderthal occupation. This continuity is further supported by the presence of artifacts from later historical periods, including the Iron Age, Seleucid, and Parthian eras, which reflect the cave’s ongoing significance as a site of human activity.

The cave also features a nearby rock shelter that has yielded evidence of habitation from both the Middle Paleolithic and Chalcolithic periods, suggesting that these locations were utilized concurrently by ancient populations. This duality of habitation sites offers valuable insights into the adaptive strategies of early humans in response to environmental changes.

Registered as a national heritage site in 2001, Ghamari Cave continues to be a key location for studying the ancient human history of western Iran.

IRNA

Cover Image Credit: IRNA

Related Articles

A Gold Mourning Ring Found on The Isle of Man

21 April 2021

21 April 2021

The ring found with a metal detector on the Isle of Man in December 2020 will be exhibited in the...

Hellenic and Roman statue heads unearthed in Knidos

9 December 2021

9 December 2021

Hellenic and Roman sculpture heads were unearthed in the ancient Carian settlement Knidos, located in the Datça district of Muğla...

Archaeologists have discovered the origins a Herefordshire Stone Age monument

22 August 2021

22 August 2021

Archaeologists have finally uncovered the mysterious origins of Arthur’s Stone, named after the mysterious legends of King Arthur, who inspired...

Fossil of a hominid child who died almost 250,000 years ago discovered in South Africa

8 November 2021

8 November 2021

A team of international and South African researchers uncovered the fossil remains of an early hominid kid who died almost...

73 intact Wari mummy bundles and Carved Masks Placed On False Heads Discovered In Peru

1 December 2023

1 December 2023

At Pachacámac, an archaeological site southeast of Lima in Peru, archaeologists unearthed bundles of 73 intact mummy bundles, some containing...

On the eastern shore of the Marmara Sea, off the coast of Yalova, a 1700-year-old Shipwreck was discovered

23 August 2023

23 August 2023

A 1700-year-old shipwreck was discovered during maritime police training dives in the province of Yalova, located on the east coast...

Archaeologists find an Anglo-Saxon church at Stoke Mandeville excavation site

13 September 2021

13 September 2021

Archaeologists working on the HS2 project found the remains of an Anglo-Saxon church during their excavations at the former St...

“If this site (Sharda temple)is restored and conserved, it will attract thousands of Hindus and Buddhists from Kashmir and the rest of the world”

7 August 2021

7 August 2021

Sharda Peeth, a historic learning institution located 200 kilometers (124 miles) from Muzaffarabad, the capital and largest city of Pakistan-administered...

Researchers sequenced the DNA 1,600-year-old sheep mummy from an ancient Iranian salt mine, Chehrabad

16 July 2021

16 July 2021

A multinational team of geneticists and archaeologists sequenced the DNA from a 1,600-year-old sheep mummy discovered from Chehrabad, a salt...

A unique bone Scythian scepter from the 5th century BC was discovered in Northeast Bulgaria

1 October 2023

1 October 2023

A unique bone scepter belonging to a Scythian warlord from the 5th century BC was discovered during excavations in the...

Archaeologists Find the Missing Link of the Alphabet

15 April 2021

15 April 2021

Researchers believe that Tel Lachish pottery is the oldest of its kind found in the region, and could explain how...

Archaeologists identify a sunken Nabataean temple dedicated to the God Dusares at Pozzuoli

12 April 2023

12 April 2023

Off the coast of Pozzuoli on the Phlegrean Peninsula in Campania, Italy, underwater archaeologists have identified a sunken Nabataeans temple...

Rare clay figurine found in Italian Cave dating back 7000 years

26 July 2023

26 July 2023

Archaeologists from Sapienza University of Rome discovered a figure with female features in the Battifratta cave, near Poggio Nativo in...

Archaeologists have found seven pairs of Anglo-Saxon brooches in seven graves during an excavation in Gloucestershire

5 April 2022

5 April 2022

Archaeologists have found seven pairs of Anglo-Saxon saucer brooches, one pair in each of seven burials unearthed in an excavation...

2000-Year-Old Marvel: The Mystery of the Parthian Battery

1 March 2024

1 March 2024

The Parthian Battery is believed to be about 2000 years old (from the Parthian period, roughly 250 BCE to CE...