by Dr. Kaveh Farrokh.

Excavations in a cave in western Iran have shed new light on the history of the region, which has previously proved to have links to the Paleolithic times. As noted by Hajat Daribi (the senior Iranian archaeologist) to local news outlets:

“An analysis of the sediment layers in the cave, conducted by a joint Iranian-Danish [archaeological] delegation, revealed that the cave bears evidence of the Lower Paleolithic, Middle Paleolithic, and Upper Paleolithic ages”.

The Paleolithic, also called the Old Stone Age, is a period in human prehistory distinguished by the original development of stone tools that covers c. 99% of human technological prehistory. It extends from the earliest known use of stone tools by hominids c. 3.3 million years ago, to the end of the Pleistocene c. 11,650 cal BP.

As reported by Afshin Majlesi of the Tehran Times (May 9, 2021): “A new study reinforces a hypothesis that the Iranian plateau was like a bridge between East and West during the Pleistocene epoch, which began about 2.6 million years ago and lasted until about 11,700 years ago” (Image and description: Tehran Times).

The cave was first excavated in 1974 by a team of Danish experts led by archaeologist Mortensen Peter who was able to discover evidence of the three Paleolithic periods, which at the time yielded poor information about the sequence of the findings. Daribi noted that:

“… no carbon dating of the cave was available beforehand, as in other Stone-Age areas in central Zagros [mountain range].” 

As further averred by Daribi, the upper archaeological layers of the cave have yielded potteries and other objects that date from the Late Bronze Age (LBA), Seleucid era, Sassanid rea and [early] Islamic times.

In other significant archaeological findings in western Iran, archaeologists discovered in May further evidence for its Paleolithic residents in Kaldar cave, Lorestan province. The project sheds new light on Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition in Iran.

Archaeologists at the site of the Kaldar cave (Source: Tehran Times & CHTN). For further informaiton see … “Kaldar Cave in Iran estimated to date over 63,000 years”…

The onset of the Paleolithic Period, according to Encyclopedia Britannica, has traditionally coincided with the first evidence of tool construction and use by Homo some 2.58 million years ago, near the beginning of the Pleistocene Epoch (2.58 million to 11,700 years ago). In 2015, however, researchers excavating a dry riverbed near Kenya’s Lake Turkana discovered primitive stone tools embedded in rocks dating to 3.3 million years ago—the middle of the Pliocene Epoch (some 5.3 million to 2.58 million years ago). Those tools predate the oldest confirmed specimens of Homo by almost 1 million years, which raises the possibility that toolmaking originated with Australopithecus or its contemporaries and that the timing of the onset of this cultural stage should be reevaluated.

Related posts:

1. 1. Kaldar cave in Iran estimated to date over 63,000 years

1. 1. Archaeologists discover Evidence of Early administration in Northeast Iran

1. 1. Evidence may push back history of Tehran by 6,600 years

1. 1. Traces of early Humans discovered in Iran 

1. 1. Bridge between East and West: Iranian plateau in the Pleistocene Era

1. 1. Maymand, an Exemplar Manmade-Cave dwelling

1. 1. Petroglyphs hold clues to 14,000 years of human life in Iran

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1. 1. King Arthur [Part I]: Some Literary, Archaeological and Historical evidence.

LONDON, ENGLAND—BBC News reports that Museum of London Archaeology Senior Building Material Specialist Han Li has painstakingly reassembled thousands of pieces of 1,800-year-old painted wall plaster recovered in 2021 from a development site in Southwark along the Thames. The fragments, which had been dumped into a pit in antiquity, once adorned some 20 walls of a high-status Roman building that was demolished sometime before a.d. 200. “It’s one of the biggest—if not the biggest—assemblages of Roman wall plaster and paintings we’ve ever found in Roman London,” Li said. He found that the structure’s walls were decorated with images of lyres, candelabras, flowers, white cranes, and even depictions of plants that would have grown in the area. The pink lower panels of one wall section were stippled with black specks to imitate marble. An ancient artist etched into one plaster fragment the Latin word FECIT, which means “has made this,” though unfortunately the painter’s name is not preserved.

SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND—Although definitive evidence for the construction date of Sheffield Castle has long eluded archaeologists, a small patch of burnt ground has now helped unravel the mystery, according to a Miami Herald report. Researchers from Wessex Archaeology uncovered the deposit on the side of the motte, or artificial hill, where the original castle once stood. They believe that it was created when builders lit a fire during initial castle construction. With help from Museum of London Archaeology and the University of Bradford, the team relied on a cutting-edge method known as archaeomagnetic dating to date the fire and therefore the castle’s foundation. This technique analyzes shifts in the Earth’s magnetic field that are locked into materials when they were last heated to estimate the age of archaeological features. The results determined that Sheffield Castle was originally built between a.d. 896 and 1173, possibly more than a century earlier than previously thought. To read about excavations beneath one of Britain’s most majestic castles, go to “Letter from England: Stronghold of the Kings in the North.”

KOŁOBRZEG, POLAND—Researchers have determined that a nearly five-inch-tall limestone figurine of a woman found by a farmer near the city of Kołobrzeg in 2022 dates to more than 6,000 years ago, according to a report in The Art Newspaper. The statuette was dubbed the “Venus of Kołobrzeg,” a reference to similar Neolithic figurines with accentuated breasts unearthed throughout Europe that scholars believe were fertility symbols. The oldest known example, which was found in 2008 at southern Germany’s Hohle Fels Cave, is some 40,000 years old. The Kołobrzeg Venus is the only such figurine discovered north of the Carpathian Mountains. Researchers noted that the figure is rather simplistically crafted and has no discernible facial features. The lower limbs seem to have been created by striking the stone with a hard tool. Since the statuette’s back is fairly flat, the researchers posit that it may have been affixed to a base or perhaps have been displayed vertically.

VINDOLANDA, ENGLAND—A sandstone relief believed to represent Victoria, the Roman goddess of Victory, was unearthed from the Vindolanda fort near Hadrian’s Wall in northern England, according to a statement released by the Vindolanda Trust. The deity was highly esteemed in Roman society, especially among soldiers, and was often honored after military success on the battlefield. The foot-and-a-half-tall sculpture was found in the rubble above a military barracks at the site, where as many as 800 Roman auxiliary troops were stationed. Archaeologists believe that it may have been part of an ornamental arch or gate that once adorned the building. The barracks and the relief likely date to the early third century a.d., a tumultuous time in Britain when Roman troops clashed with rebellious native tribes north of the wall in a conflict known as the Severan wars. The commission of a monument featuring the Victory goddess likely symbolized the end of that conflict and the building of new military infrastructure at Vindolanda. “Finds like this are increasingly rare these days from Roman Britain, but the beautifully carved figure vividly reminds us that Roman forts were not simply utilitarian, they had grandeur and of course the symbolism was a vital part of the culture here for the soldiers almost 2,000 years ago,” said archaeologist Andrew Birley. For more about discoveries at Vindolanda, go to “The Wall at the End of the Empire: Life on the Frontier.”

KUÉLAP, PERU—Colombia One reports that archaeologists made new discoveries at the site of Kuélap, high in the mountains of the country’s Amazonas region. Known for its massive stone walls, the settlement was founded 10,000 feet above sealevel in the sixth century a.d. by the mysterious Chachapoya civilization, sometimes referred to as the “Warriors of the Clouds.” In a newly investigated part of the site known as Research Area No. 1, a team from the Kuélap Archaeological Research Program explored six circular stone features arranged around a central courtyard. One of these contained an aboveground tomb known as a chulpa that is commonly found in the Andean highlands. The structure still held human remains and several finely crafted funerary objects, including a polished stone ax and a slate pendant etched with geometric patterns. Other artifacts included stone fragments and small traces of metal, which may have been used during farewell rituals before the site was abandoned around 1570, following the arrival of Spanish conquistadors. The discovery suggests that the burials were not random, but were organized with specific cultural traditions attached to them. The new findings could offer additional clues about how Chachapoya families and communities were organized. For more on the Chachapoyas, go to “Around the World: Peru.”

Pasargad Heritage Foundation’s open letter to US Congress members regarding President Trump’s statements and the Persian Gulf

Dear Honorable Members of the U.S. Congress 

According to news outlets, President Trump will soon travel to Saudi Arabia and intends to change the historical name of the Persian Gulf—one of the world’s oldest recognized geographical areas and an intangible site of natural heritage for the Iranian people—to please his hosts.

We trust that the leadership of a knowledgeable nation such as the United States is well aware of the historical fact that the Persian Gulf has been identified on world maps for centuries as representative of Iran and its people. This is a historical reality that cannot be altered or conceded, even within the limited span of a four-year presidential term.

The current situation in Iran, a country under a government whose actions have resulted in the destruction of Persian historical sites and transfer of Iranian properties to enemies, causes significant distress and dismay for the Iranian people.

 And now such statements made by President Trump can be particularly painful for those Iranians who have historically held the American people in high regard and considered them friends.

Sincerely,

Shokooh Mirzadegi

By resolution 59/26 of 22 November 2004, the UN General Assembly declared 8–9 May as a time of remembrance and reconciliation and, while recognizing that Member States may have individual days of victory, liberation and commemoration, invited all Member States, organizations of the United Nations System, non-governmental organizations and individuals to observe annually either one or both of these days in an appropriate manner to pay tribute to all victims of the Second World War.

The Assembly stressed that this historic event established the conditions for the creation of the United Nations, designed to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, and called upon the Member States of the United Nations to unite their efforts in dealing with new challenges and threats, with the United Nations playing a central role, and to make every effort to settle all disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the Charter of the United Nations and in such a manner that international peace and security are not endangered.

On 2 March 2010, by resolution 64/257, By resolution 59/26 of 22 November 2004, the UN General Assembly declared 8–9 May as a time of remembrance and reconciliation and, while recognizing that Member States may have individual days of victory, liberation and commemoration, invited all Member States, organizations of the United Nations System, non-governmental organizations and individuals to observe annually either one or both of these days in an appropriate manner to pay tribute to all victims of the Second World War.

The Assembly stressed that this historic event established the conditions for the creation of the United Nations, designed to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, and called upon the Member States of the United Nations to unite their efforts in dealing with new challenges and threats, with the United Nations playing a central role, and to make every effort to settle all disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the Charter of the United Nations and in such a manner that international peace and security are not endangered.

Background

On 2 March 2010, by resolution 64/257, the General Assembly invited all Member States, organizations of the United Nations system, non-governmental organizations and individuals to observe 8-9 May in an appropriate manner to pay tribute to all victims of the Second World War. A special solemn meeting of the General Assembly in commemoration of all victims of the war was held in the second week of May 2010, marking the sixty-fifth anniversary of the end of the Second World War.

During the commemoration, the Secretary-General called the Second World War “one of the most epic struggles for freedom and liberation in history,” adding that “its cost was beyond calculation, beyond comprehension: 40 million civilians dead; 20 million soldiers, nearly half of those in the Soviet Union alone.”

In resolution 69/267, the General Assembly recalled that the Second World War “brought untold sorrow to humankind, particularly in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Pacific and other parts of the world.” It underlined “the progress made since the end of the Second World War in overcoming its legacy and promoting reconciliation, international and regional cooperation and democratic values, human rights and fundamental freedoms, in particular through the United Nations, and the establishment of regional and sub-regional organizations and other appropriate frameworks.”

A special solemn meeting, marking seventieth anniversary of the Second World War, was held on 5 May 2015.

General Assembly invited all Member States, organizations of the United Nations system, non-governmental organizations and individuals to observe 8-9 May in an appropriate manner to pay tribute to all victims of the Second World War. A special solemn meeting of the General Assembly in commemoration of all victims of the war was held in the second week of May 2010, marking the sixty-fifth anniversary of the end of the Second World War.

During the commemoration, the Secretary-General called the Second World War “one of the most epic struggles for freedom and liberation in history,” adding that “its cost was beyond calculation, beyond comprehension: 40 million civilians dead; 20 million soldiers, nearly half of those in the Soviet Union alone.”
In resolution 69/267, the General Assembly recalled that the Second World War “brought untold sorrow to humankind, particularly in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Pacific and other parts of the world.” It underlined “the progress made since the end of the Second World War in overcoming its legacy and promoting reconciliation, international and regional cooperation and democratic values, human rights and fundamental freedoms, in particular through the United Nations, and the establishment of regional and subregional organizations and other appropriate frameworks.”
A special solemn meeting, marking seventieth anniversary of the Second World War, was held on 5 May 2015.

The article “Persepolis Architects Were Geologists, too” was originally published in Mehr News on December 23, 2005 and by Shapur Suren-Pahlav in the CAIS venue on December 23, 2005.

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Recent geological studies at the Persepolis historical site indicate that Achaemenid dynastic era architects used their unique knowledge of geology and mines in the construction of Persepolis, as reported by the Persian service of CHN. The experts were well aware of the science of geology and were keen to discover underground sources of water, geologist Azam Zare said.

A Possible Qanat (or aqueduct water system) under Persepolis (Source: Sina Press).

The studies show that the Achaemenid experts had acquired specialized knowledge and technology, but it is unclear how they mastered these skills, she added. The studies of the geological team at Persepolis led to the discovery of stone mines at mounts Rahmat and Majdabad and the Sivand Mine. As noted by Zare:

“Majdabad is far from Persepolis, but the Achaemenid experts used to travel all that distance to acquire the stones they needed. Several experiments carried out on the stones of the three regions by archaeologists show that the stones at Majdabad and Rahmat were of a better quality and were stronger compared with those of Sivand …”

Persepolis is located near Marvdasht in a region with large underground water reservoirs, and that is why the Achaemenids faced no problems in building palaces and gardens, she explained. Studies on the wells around Persepolis are continuing, and geologists seek to determine the connections between the wells in the region, she said, adding that some of the wells are still in use but others have run dry over the years.

Achaemenid Engineers and (Greek or Lydian) craftsmen at Persepolis 500s BCE (Source: Wisgoon).

Unfortunately, the construction techniques used by the Achaemenids were forgotten after Alexander’s invasion of Iran, she said in conclusion.

Related posts:

1. 1. Archaeological Survey finds Prehistoric Hatch to Apadana Palace in Persepolis

1. 1. Study on the Burnt Fabrics of Persepolis

1. 1. Ruins of Gateway unearthed near Persepolis

1. 1. Glazed Bricks with Bull and Dragon Motifs Discovered at Persepolis

1. 1. Stone-arch Tunnel Discovered near Achaemenid Dam

1. 1. Achaemenid Dam Engineering

1. 1. Vandalism against Persepolis

1. 1. Persepolis: A Comprehensive Photographic Overview

1. 1. A Brief Overview of Persepolis

1. 1. Excavations uncover Large Ancient gate in 2500 Year Old City of Persepolis in Iran

By Dr. Kaveh Farrokh|December 20th, 2023|Achaemenid Military History, Achaemenids, Ancient: Prehistory – 651 A.D., Archaeology, Architecture, Cultural and Endangered Sites, Engineering|Comments Off

A team of researchers from the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW) and the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) found dozens of hidden medieval inscriptions within the Cenacle in Jerusalem—long believed to be the location of the Last Supper.

Hidden medieval graffiti deciphered in room of Jesus’ Last Supper in Jerusalem

The Hall of the Last Supper on Mount Sion. Credit: Heritage Conservation Jerusalem Pikiwiki Israel

With the help of advanced imaging techniques such as ultraviolet filters, Reflectance Transformation Imaging, and multispectral photography, the researchers captured nearly 30 inscriptions and nine drawings on the walls of the room. These marks were plastered over for centuries and rediscovered only in the 1990s when the room was being restored.

The findings, which were recently published in Liber Annuus, the yearbook of the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum, offer a glimpse into the lives of Christian pilgrims who visited the site between the 14th and 16th centuries.

Hidden medieval graffiti deciphered in room of Jesus’ Last Supper in Jerusalem

Carved Coat of Arms with the inscription “Altbach”. This image is almost identical to the coat of arms of the modern city of the same name in southern Germany. It appears to have been left by an unknown pilgrim from the local knightly family. Credit: Shai Halevi / © Israel Antiquities Authority

Among the discoveries is an Armenian inscription that reads “Christmas 1300.” It supports the controversial theory that Armenian King Het’um II could have reached Jerusalem after his army’s victory in the Battle of Wādī al-Khaznadār in Syria in 1299. The inscription, carved high on the wall in a style common among Armenian nobles, supports the king’s pilgrimage argument in history.

Hidden medieval graffiti deciphered in room of Jesus’ Last Supper in Jerusalem

Digitally remastered black-and-white multispectral image of the “Teuffenbach” coat of arms from Styria. Directly below, the half-erased date 14.. can be seen. To the right are two further inscriptions: the monumental Armenian Christmas inscription and a Serbian inscription “Akakius”. Credit: Shai Halevi / © Israel Antiquities Authority

Another inscription, written in Arabic, ends with the words “…ya al-Ḥalabīya.” Scholars believe that it was written by a Christian woman from Aleppo—based on the feminine grammatical form.

The Cenacle, located on Mount Sion, is sacred to Christians, Jews, and Muslims. Christians believe it to be the site of the Last Supper. Jews and Muslims consider it to be the tomb of King David. The current building was built during the Crusader period and once formed part of a Franciscan monastery before the Ottomans expelled the friars in 1517.

https://archaeologymag.com/2025/04/medieval-graffiti-in-room-of-last-supper/