2006/05/29

In the Desert, Ancient Signs



ON the northern border of a vast desert preserve, halfway up a dusty hillside and overlooking a great forest of Joshua trees, David Nichols knelt to brush off a flat gray stone.

Mojave National Preserve
"Yep, this is one right here," he said, motioning toward a sheet of exposed bedrock. A group of small, closely spaced stones, like tiny turrets in the sand, formed a vague ring at his feet. "These supposedly kept the rodents out."

Mr. Nichols, one of two full-time research archaeologists employed at Mojave National Preserve, was showing off a recent discovery. On a nondescript hill, a quarter-mile off a four-wheel-drive dirt track, the remnants of a prehistoric way of life lay scattered in the sand.Mojave National Preserve

Throughout Mojave National Preserve, a 1.6 million-acre park about 140 miles northeast of Los Angeles, the subtle traces of a bygone civilization are all around. Pictographs painted on cave walls, dart tips in the sand, shelters, fire rings and pottery shards are common in the area, where generations of prehistoric people lived and died. Indeed, Mojave National Preserve is an amateur archaeologist's dream, with undocumented sites open year-round for visitors to explore in the empty, undeveloped park.


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2006/05/04

7000-Year-Old Mass Grave Discovered in Bolaghi Gorge



Archeological excavations in Bolaghi Gorge historical site led to the discovery of the remains of three skeletons dating back to 5000 BC in a single grave in the area number 131 at the closest point to the Sivand Dam which will be flooded by mullahs soon.

"Existence of three skulls and disordered bones shows that it must have been a mass grave. The discovered clays in this grave indicate that the skeletons found here belong to the Bacon era (fifth to fourth millennium BC). This mass grave was discovered in area number 131 which is the closest archeological site to the Sivand Dam. Two big and two small clay dishes have also been found in this grave," said Mojgan Seyedein, Iranian head of the Iranian-German joint archeology team in Bolaghi Gorge.

Prior to this, the remains of a skeleton of a young girl belonging to the Bacon era was discovered in area number 73 also by the joint Iranian-German team. According to Seyedein, the only difference between the skeletons found recently with that of the girl is that the skeleton of the girl was discovered almost intact while the ones which were discovered in their latest excavations are fragmented.

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2006/05/03

Neanderthals Lived in Iran's Kermanshah Caves



The latest excavations by Iranian and French joint team at prehistoric caves of Kermanshah, west of Iran, revealed them to have been early settlements of Neanderthals who used to live there about 85000 to 40000 years ago.

The joint team was to continue its studies on other Paleolithic caves in Kermanshah province, but as the term of the agreement has reached an end, the French team have returned back home. This team is to resume its activities in March 2006 in prehistoric caves in Kermanshah province if the agreement is renewed for an extended term.

Asadollah Piranvand, head of Kermanshah branch office of Iran's Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization, said, "This team conducted some research in prehistoric caves of the province in March 2005, which revealed these caves to be early settlements of Neanderthals about 85000 to 40000 years ago."

Neanderthals Lived in Iran's Kermanshah Caves