Gūrān

archaeological site, Iran

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June 29, 2026

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Gūrān is an archaeological site in Iran that provides evidence of early human habitation and the development of settled village life. It is particularly significant for its contributions to understanding the Neolithic Period in the Middle East.1

Excavations at Gūrān, along with other sites like Ganj Dareh and Ali Kosh, have revealed early experimentation with sedentary life and the domestication of plants and animals. These sites date back to the 8th and 7th millennia BCE, indicating a transition towards fully developed village farming. Archaeological exploration in Iran, including at sites like Gūrān, has been crucial in revolutionizing the study of prehistoric Iran, although work was significantly impacted by World War II and later curtailed.12

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ancient Iran
The Neolithic Period (New Stone Age)
…western Iranian sites as Āsīāb, Gūrān, Ganj Dareh (Ganj Darreh), and Ali Kosh. Similar developments in the Zagros Mountains, on the Iraqi side of the modern border, are also traceable at sites such as Karīm Shahīr and Zawi Chemi–Shanidar. This phase of early experimentation with sedentary life and domestication was…
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…western Iranian sites as Āsīāb, Gūrān, Ganj Dareh (Ganj Darreh), and Ali Kosh. Similar developments in the Zagros Mountains, on the Iraqi side of the modern border, are also traceable at sites such as Karīm Shahīr and Zawi Chemi–Shanidar. This phase of early experimentation with sedentary life and domestication was…
Read More