BEHBAHAN, IRAN—Traces of a 9,000-year-old settlement and evidence of farming have reportedly been found at Mahtaj Hill in southwestern Iran. “The findings mostly include stone tools such as grindstone and its handle which shows that producing and processing of vegetarian food played an important role in the livelihood of Mahtaj Hill inhabitants,” archaeologist Hojjat Darabi told Mehr News. He added that the site predates the use of pottery in the region. To read about Bronze Age civilizations in Iran, go to "The World in Between."
Early Evidence of Farming Found in Southwestern Iran
News August 3, 2015
Recommended Articles
Features November/December 2021
Italian Master Builders
A 3,500-year-old ritual pool reflects a little-known culture’s agrarian prowess
Digs & Discoveries July/August 2019
You Say What You Eat
Off the Grid September/October 2012
Aquincum, Hungary
Off the Grid July/August 2012
Pucará de Tilcara, Argentina
-
Features July/August 2015
In Search of a Philosopher’s Stone
At a remote site in Turkey, archaeologists have found fragments of the ancient world’s most massive inscription
(Martin Bachmann) -
Letter from Virginia July/August 2015
Free Before Emancipation
Excavations are providing a new look at some of the Civil War’s earliest fugitive slaves—considered war goods or contraband—and their first taste of liberty
(Library of Congress) -
Artifacts July/August 2015
Gold Lock-Rings
(Courtesy Amgueddfa Cymru-National Museum of Wales) -
Digs & Discoveries July/August 2015
A Spin through Augustan Rome
(Courtesy and created at the Experiential Technologies Center, UCLA, ©Regents of the University of California)