Eshkaft-e gavi Cave
Encyclopedia
Eshkaft-e Gavi is a cave
located in the southern Zagros Mountains
of Iran
and is one of the few archaeological site
s in the region to preserve both Middle Paleolithic
and Upper Paleolithic
occupations.
Excavation of the site by Micheal Rosenberg in the 1970s yielded an assemblage of lithic and faunal remains, including a number of human bones and teeth.
Although many of these remains could be Epi-Paleolithic in age, one of the juvenile specimens—the mandibular molar—occurs at the base of the cave's Upper Paleolithic sequence .Four of the specimens display clear evidence for intentional butchery in the form of stone-tool cutmarks. These cutmarked specimens, along with a fragment of parietal bone
, are also burned. Although this evidence is consistent with cannibalism
, the small sample makes it difficult to say whether or not the individuals represented by the hominin remains were butchered and cooked for consumption.
Currently the site is located in a industrial zone (Petrochemical factory) and it's entrance and ceiling is partially collapsed and destroyed .
http://i55.tinypic.com/10ihugo.jpg
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
located in the southern Zagros Mountains
Zagros Mountains
The Zagros Mountains are the largest mountain range in Iran and Iraq. With a total length of 1,500 km , from northwestern Iran, and roughly correlating with Iran's western border, the Zagros range spans the whole length of the western and southwestern Iranian plateau and ends at the Strait of...
of Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and is one of the few archaeological site
Archaeological site
An archaeological site is a place in which evidence of past activity is preserved , and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and represents a part of the archaeological record.Beyond this, the definition and geographical extent of a 'site' can vary widely,...
s in the region to preserve both Middle Paleolithic
Middle Paleolithic
The Middle Paleolithic is the second subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age as it is understood in Europe, Africa and Asia. The term Middle Stone Age is used as an equivalent or a synonym for the Middle Paleolithic in African archeology. The Middle Paleolithic and the Middle Stone Age...
and Upper Paleolithic
Upper Paleolithic
The Upper Paleolithic is the third and last subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age as it is understood in Europe, Africa and Asia. Very broadly it dates to between 40,000 and 10,000 years ago, roughly coinciding with the appearance of behavioral modernity and before the advent of...
occupations.
Excavation of the site by Micheal Rosenberg in the 1970s yielded an assemblage of lithic and faunal remains, including a number of human bones and teeth.
Although many of these remains could be Epi-Paleolithic in age, one of the juvenile specimens—the mandibular molar—occurs at the base of the cave's Upper Paleolithic sequence .Four of the specimens display clear evidence for intentional butchery in the form of stone-tool cutmarks. These cutmarked specimens, along with a fragment of parietal bone
Parietal bone
The parietal bones are bones in the human skull which, when joined together, form the sides and roof of the cranium. Each bone is roughly quadrilateral in form, and has two surfaces, four borders, and four angles. It is named from the Latin pariet-, wall....
, are also burned. Although this evidence is consistent with cannibalism
Cannibalism
Cannibalism is the act or practice of humans eating the flesh of other human beings. It is also called anthropophagy...
, the small sample makes it difficult to say whether or not the individuals represented by the hominin remains were butchered and cooked for consumption.
Currently the site is located in a industrial zone (Petrochemical factory) and it's entrance and ceiling is partially collapsed and destroyed .
http://i55.tinypic.com/10ihugo.jpg