Do-Ashkaft Cave

Coordinates: 34°24′03″N 47°07′51″E / 34.400953608°N 47.1308130348°E / 34.400953608; 47.1308130348 (Do-Ashkaft cave, Kermanshah, Iran)

The Do-Ashkaft Cave, being the Middle Paleolithic cave site, is located at north of Kermanshah, near Taq-e Bostan. It is located about 1600 metres above the sea level and its entrance faces south, overlooking the national park of Kuhestan. The site was discovered by two Iranian researchers, F. Biglari and S. Heydari in 1999 and during next four years was sampled each month which resulted in a rich Middle Paleolithic lithic collection. The Mousterian occupants of the cave made their tools on local raw material outcrops around the cave.

A reconstruction of a Neanderthal male at Zagros Paleolithic Museum

References

1. Fereidoun Biglari and Saman Heydari (2001) Do-Ashkaft: a recently discovered Mousterian cave site in the Kermanshah Plain, Iran, Antiquity, Vol 75, No: 289, Page: 487–488
2. Biglari, F.(2007) Approvisionnement et utilisation des matières premières au Paléolithique moyen dans la plaine de Kermanshah Iran) : le cas de la Grotte Do-Ashkaft, M. H. Moncel, A. Moigne, M. Arzarello, C. Peretto (eds), Aires 'approvisionnement en matières premières et aires d'approvisionnement en resources alimentaires Approche intégrée des comportements, Workshop 23, XV Congrès UISPP, Lisbonne, Vol. 5, BAR International Series 172

1. Kermanshah Cultural Heritage Organization web site
2. Do-Ashkaft Cave
3. Lithic raw material use in Do-Ashkaft

Gallery

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  big cave

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  on top of small cave

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  small Cave floor due to rain water from roof to cool wrought

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  inside the cave. in the end of the cave we can see tunnel

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  inside big cave; in front of cave is Park of Kuhestan (mountain's park)

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  outside small cave

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  inside small cave; in front of cave is kermanshah city

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  inside inside small cave

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  inside big cave, view of hole one wall