Archaeological excavations around Genil Hill in Kermanshah Province, Iran, have revealed an ancient site dating back to the Neolithic period. The site is one of the first rural settlements in the central Zagros region. This is reported by Tehran Times, a partner of TV BRICS.

The excavations revealed that Genil Hill covered an area of about 1 hectare and included remains from both the ceramic and pre-ceramic Neolithic periods. Genil Hill was first discovered in 1977, but at that time, excavations were limited and did not reach the undisturbed soil layer. The new excavations confirm that Genil Hill is a valuable archaeological site that can tell us about the beginnings of agriculture and rural life in central Zagros.

In order to protect the site from destruction and preserve it for future research, a survey was carried out to define its boundaries. The Neolithic period was a time of transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture and animal domestication. It is characterised by the appearance of stone tools worked by polishing, as well as the emergence of permanent settlements and crafts such as pottery and weaving.

The first Neolithic settlements appeared in the Fertile Crescent around 9500 BC, but the transition to agriculture occurred gradually throughout Asia and Europe.

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