Hazar Merd Cave, Archaeological cave site in Sulaymaniyah Governorate, Iraq.
Hazar Merd Cave is an archaeological site in the Sulaymaniyah mountains containing multiple interconnected chambers. The main chamber and the secondary chamber called Ashkawty Tarik provide insight into stone age settlement patterns and daily activities.
British archaeologist Dorothy Garrod conducted excavations in 1928 and discovered significant artifacts from the Middle and Epi-Paleolithic periods. These finds included hand axes and stone tools that illuminated human lifestyles from tens of thousands of years ago.
The cave shows traces of early human settlement through hearths and tools left behind by ancient communities. Visitors can observe these archaeological marks directly on the chamber walls and floor.
Access is by car to a parking area, followed by a climb of about 20 meters (65 feet) to reach the main chamber. The terrain is rocky and can be slippery, so proper footwear and a flashlight are recommended.
Bone remains found in the cave come from wild goats, red deer, gazelles, and small mammals. These animal remains reveal which wildlife populated the region thousands of years ago and how early humans used their hunting grounds.
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