{"id":159911,"date":"2025-10-29T21:30:24","date_gmt":"2025-10-29T18:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/?p=159911"},"modified":"2025-10-29T21:30:24","modified_gmt":"2025-10-29T18:00:24","slug":"archaeologists-unearth-first-ancient-cemetery-in-the-gilan-plain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/?p=159911","title":{"rendered":"Archaeologists Unearth First Ancient Cemetery in the Gilan Plain"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>The recent discovery of an Iron Age cemetery in Gilan has transformed the understanding of the region\u2019s historical timeline.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Majid Kouhi, head of the Cultural Heritage Department of Gilan Province, stated that the discovery of this Iron Age cemetery, dating back to the first millennium BCE and located just 15 meters above sea level, confirms that the Gilan Plain has been inhabited for 3,500 years.<\/p>\n<p>In an interview with ISNA, Kouhi emphasized the significance of this find, noting that it is the first prehistoric cemetery identified at such a low altitude, whereas previously, all known prehistoric cemeteries were located in elevated areas, typically 500 to 1,000 meters above sea level. This breakthrough could redefine archaeological perspectives on settlement patterns and burial sites in the plains of Gilan, Mazandaran, and northern Iran.<\/p>\n<p>He added that after initial surveys and sampling of surface artifacts, the site will be submitted for inclusion on the National Heritage List. Further archaeological excavations and research will follow, with the findings to be shared publicly.<\/p>\n<p>Kouhi pointed out that, given the unique characteristics of this site, it could serve as the foundation for an open-air archaeological museum in one of the coastal cities of western Gilan Province. He stressed that the discovery of this Iron Age cemetery, dating back to the first millennium BCE, has the potential to change perspectives on the forested and plain landscapes throughout the northern Alborz Mountains and the southern Caspian Sea coast. It could also reshape archaeological approaches to studying these environments.<\/p>\n<p>Gilan, with its rich history and culture, is home to numerous historic cemeteries nestled within its green and mountainous landscapes. Notable examples include the ancient cemeteries of Maryan and Aq Owlar in Talesh, Marlik in Rudbar, Mianlengeh in Asiabar Deylaman, and Bouyeh in Amlash\u2014all situated in highland areas. These cemeteries are not only burial grounds but also valuable repositories of archaeological and cultural knowledge, offering researchers and history enthusiasts insights into ancient burial customs, beliefs, and ways of life.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The recent discovery of an Iron Age cemetery in Gilan has transformed the understanding of the region\u2019s historical timeline. Majid Kouhi, head of the Cultural Heritage Department of Gilan Province, stated that the discovery of this Iron Age cemetery, dating back to the first millennium BCE and located just 15 meters above sea level, confirms [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":159912,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[1292,1291],"class_list":["post-159911","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-zoroastrians","tag-first-ancient-cemetery","tag-gilan-plain"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159911","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=159911"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159911\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/159912"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=159911"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=159911"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=159911"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}