Archaeologist Mohammadreza Baqerian said on Sunday that Gilan is one of the unique historical regions of the country with important sites such as Marlik, Kalvarz, and Talesh.

There are several dams under construction in the region such as Bijar Dam and Shafarud Dam, while there are plans to build several more in the future, including Pol Rud, Aziz Kian, Kherman Gah, and Khademan dams.

“Experts are planning to start archaeological excavations at the sites before they are submerged,” he added.

He also stated that the regional water authority had not coordinated with the Gilan Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department, and the provincial department only acquired the recent information after making inquiries at the water authority.

Gilan contains many Iron Age sites and recently the first Neolithic site was found in Gilan Province.

The Arg-Dasht Neolithic site is the most ancient site that has ever been found in Gilan. Archaeologists had previously discovered some Bronze Age artifacts on the southern bank of the Shahrud River as well as some pottery and shards dating back to circa 3000 BC in the province.