ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors aim to put Palaeolithic people into the picture, to enliven the stage. The Palaeolithic period of Iran is of major significance in the study of the human past, and yet archaeological investigation of this period has been under-developed. During the Lower Palaeolithic period, by far the longest and least understood single period in Old World prehistory, the genus Homo diversified and expanded its geographical range from Africa across Eurasia. The potential significance of Iran as a corridor for hominin migration is indicated by the presence of major Lower Palaeolithic sites in adjacent regions, such as the site of Shuwayhitiyah in northern Saudi Arabia. In conclusion, appreciation of Iran’s Middle Palaeolithic millennia is developing apace as field research continues. In closing the chapter, they can draw some general conclusions concerning the Upper and Epipalaeolithic of Iran.
