excavations in the basin of the large Sefidrud River and
Manjid Dam led to the discovery of some evidence belonging
to 2000 BC.
“Recent research on the shores of Manjil Dam indicates
of the existence of a rich civilization in the region,”
says Vali Jahani, archeological expert of the Cultural
Heritage and Tourism Organization of Gilan province.
“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,”
According to Jahani, the historical site which is more
than 3 hectares is located in a level plain west of the
historical city of Manjil on a height of 230 meters from
sea level. Since Qazvin-Anzali highway passes through this
site, the salvation project determined to obtain accurate
information on the region besides the dam and Sefidrud
River has been started.
Despite the discovery of the settlement, no remains of the
cemetery have yet been found.
What is considerable in this regard is that previous to
these discoveries, Manjil city was always famous for its
1000-year-old cedar tree, while the city with its
historical evidence such as residential areas, pits, a
historical fortress, and ancient hills dates 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 should have enjoyed a rich culture,
with different ethnic groups settling there during
different periods of history.