Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of a 7,000-year-old village in the historic city of Beladshapur, located in the Dehdasht region, according to an announcement by the head of excavations there.
Zabihollah Masoudinia explained that traces of a prehistoric settlement dating to the 5th and 6th millennia BCE were found in the central area of historic Dehdasht. He noted that this marks the first archaeological research ever conducted within the ancient city. After receiving the necessary permits, researchers opened several test trenches, which quickly revealed important findings.
According to Masoudinia, the upper soil layers contained remains from the medieval and late Islamic periods. Once these were carefully removed, archaeologists reached much older layers that early analysis suggests belong to the 5th millennium BCE—a discovery he described as potentially transformative for understanding the region’s history.
He added that traces of buildings from the later Islamic centuries are still visible on the surface. A small field laboratory was set up to examine the deeper levels where they hoped to find remnants of Seljuk and Safavid structures. Instead, the team uncovered pottery fragments and cultural materials dating back thousands of years, to between the 6th and 5th millennia BCE.
One of the more intriguing discoveries was the presence of heated stone fragments, evidence of a technique used by ancient inhabitants who would warm liquids—such as water or milk—by placing hot stones directly into containers.
Masoudinia also pointed to aerial photographs from 1956 showing a historic mound near the Dehdasht Caravanserai. Much of it was destroyed due to later urban expansion, yet the recent excavations managed to recover evidence of the long-lost Neolithic village.
The research further clarified the layout of the ancient settlement, revealing that modern streets, houses, and alleys were built directly over the prehistoric mound. Archaeologists also identified remains of old qanat water channels in the northern part of the city, adding another layer to the site’s long and complex history.
