A group of archaeologists has recently discovered the remains of an ancient civilization at a site near the Manjil Dam at the basin of the Sefidrud River in Gilan Province.
     The group recently unearthed 4000-year-old artifacts that indicated
there had been a developed civilization in the region in ancient times, Vali Jahani, an expert of the Gilan Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department stated "This historical site is one of the vastest settlements in the area, parts of which have unfortunately been buried underneath the dam water. The variety of the discovered clays in the region indicates the activity of different ethnic groups and different industries in the region."
     Covering an area about three acres, the site is located on a plain West
of the historical city of Manjil, at a height of 230 meters from sea level.  Since Qazvin-Anzali highway passes through this site, experts are conducting ooperations at the site in order to obtain more accurate information, Jahani stated.
     He also went on to say that no cemetery of the newly discovered civilization has been found yet. Although Manjil is home to historical settlements and castles, ancient and Islamic cemeteries, and ancient cellars, it has always been famous for its 1000-year-old cedar tree as well as it's residential areas, pits, a historical fortress, and ancient hills that date back further than 1000 years ago.
    With the recent discoveries in the region, archeologists have concluded that the historical city of Manjil, just like the other regions such as Deilamanat Oshkurat, Tavalesh, and Rudbar would have enjoyed a rich culture, with a diversified ethnic groups settling there during different periods of history.

Sources: CHN (5 December 2005), Tehran Times (6 December 2005)