Early Humans in Iran Were Growing Wheat 12,000 Years Ago

Archaeologists have harvested ancient grains among stone grinding tools from an early human settlement in Iran that are preserved 12,000 years, NBC News reported today.

“A detailed history of plant cultivation gleaned from sediments at the Chogha Golan site in Iran suggest that the eastern section of the Fertile Crescent was as active as better known sites in the west,” the NBC report said. Chogha Golan is in Iran’s Zagros Mountains.

A group of scientists present their findings of ancient lentils, wheat, barley and pea grass in the Thursday issue of Science.


“If you get a seed or two you'd be happy,” said Nicolas Conrad, an archaeologist at the University of Tubingen in Germany, and a member of the archeological research team. “But at Chogha Golan, with one bucket we'd get a handful of material,” he added. (NBC News, 4 July)



To read the report on NBC News website, please click here.

Photo credit: Stone tools and clay artifacts were collected from a site in the Zagros Mountains in Iran, where humans were cultivating plants 12,000 years ago.(ISARP/University of Tübingen/NBC News)

Cyrus Cylinder Coming To America

The Cyrus Cylinder, often referred to as “the first charter of human rights,” will travel to the United States for the first time, touring five major metropolitan centers, starting with Washington, to be exhabited at the Sackler Gallery from 9 March to 28 April.

The exhibition is entitled “The Cyrus Cylinder and Ancient Persia: A New Beginning.” It is organized by the British Museum in partnership with the Iran Heritage Foundation (IHF) and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution in collaboration with other major museums.

Please click here to see the video for a remarkable recount of the meaning and symbolism of this mesmerizing object.

Military In History

Top picture: The Shah of Iran inspecting an F-4D Phantom at McDonnell plant in St. Louise on 13 June 1968.

IIAF had ordered 16 F-4Ds in late 1967; the first of which arrived on 8 September 1968. Approximately 225 F-4Ds, RF-4Es and F-4Es were subsequently delivered to Iran during the 60s and 70s. More than 65 Phantoms are still in service at IRIAF.

Photo: old-pic.blogspot.com

Bottom picture: An IIAF F-4D Phantom II

Iran, Seven Faces of Civilization

Also available here in one part via google video.

H/T to Professor Juan Cole @ Informed Comment