Qom Much Older Than Previously Thought, Studies Suggest - CAIS Archaeological & Cultural Daily News of Iran©

With 25 percent of the planned archaeological investigations in the central Iranian province of Qom over, the experts have sharply scaled back their speculation about the start of human settlement in the area from the Islamic period to some 6,000 years B.C.

In addition, the archaeologists found more than 300 historical relics and sites in the province, one of the oldest in the country considered until now to have originated in the Islamic period.

The new surveys show the area started to play host to human settlements about 8,000 years ago.

Head of the cultural heritage department Kazem Arab noted the explorations were carried out in northern and central parts of the province.

The findings suggest human settlements in the central Iranian plateau were dated to 6th millennia B.C.

“In addition, the explorations in Vashnavah led to the discovery of the oldest mining operation in the country which was underway about 5,000 years ago,” Arab said.

The results of the studies also point to the fact that in the past millennia, Qom had a moderate climate with a variety of plant species.

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