Abstract
Qalakamandbeg is one of the most important sites accrued to the Neolithic period and without pottery at the Hersin - in the west of Iran – this site has formed in the proximity a silex outcrop (mine) and at the bank of GamasiAov River. Identification of a site accrued to the middle Paleolithic in the recent surveys in the proximity of Qalakamandbeg clearly shows that forming these ancient sites and presence of the humans after Paleolithic period at this part has two reasons: firstly, availability to these silex outcrops to produce the applicable tools, and secondly a permanent water source in the name of GamasiAov River. The large number of dispersed stony manufactures and also numerous collected samples indicate that this site could be called as a camp site accrued to the middle Paleolithic, a site that has been formed to produce the various tools by the silex outcrop at the bank of GamasiAov River. 
Keywords: Hersin, GamasiAov, Middle Paleolithic, Qalakamandbeg, Raw Materials, Tools Stone.

Introduction
GamasiAov River in the Hersin and Bistoon regions has always caused that the east and southeast areas of Kermanshah province to be one of the most important areas in Iran having survey about the Paleolithic period. Stanly Cown’s excavations (1949) in the cave of Shekarchian (hunters) Bistoon are the first surveys in this region and Iran (Cown 1959-60), these surveys paved the way to the next studies. Philip Smith has researches in the Kher Cave and also was completed the past researches made by Cown in the Bistoon Caves (Young and Smith 1966). In 1977, Mortensen and Smith were identified some of the places accrued to middle Paleolithic in the west of Hersin including a big workshop for cutting and producing the tools (Mortensen and Smith 1977, 1980). In the recent decades, the trend of studies has been promoted objectively and the same has led to more identified and excavated sites (Biglari and Taheri 2001, Shidrang2005, Jaubert et.al 2009, Chehri 2009, Biglari 2004, 2007). Recently, a visit to the old Neolithic sites at the peripheral areas of Hersin and Passer village was led to accidentally identification of a range of the tools accrued to the middle Paleolithic at around the Neolithic site of Qalakamandbeg, this subject shows that this site has relics accrued to the Old Neolithic along with the relics from the middle Paleolithic period as well.

Question, Theory and Research Method
The main question in this research is: which elements have been affected the forming of the middle Paleolithic site of Qalakamandbeg and also could attract the humans to come around the GamasiAov River at the Hersin plain, despite there is not any stony cave or shelter to have a permanent habitat here, because this region has a harsh situations during night time and also winter. The different studies have showed this site is an open and outdoor camp; there is a theory that says the most important item to attract the humans here is the same silex outcrops (in north of the site) to produce the applicable tools and also GamasiAov River, since we could not ignore this vital water source and existed aquatic creatures in it to constructe the interim and outdoor habitats here. This research method has concentrated on the surveys to collect the middle Paleolithic tools of this site and finally this research has used the library method to have complete study about the typology and producing the tools and its comparison with the similar discovered samples from the other middle Paleolithic areas in the central Zagros (Kermanshah).

Paleolithic Site of Qalakamandbeg
The Neolithic Tappeh, without the pottery of Qalakamandbeg, has located in a 1329m height of the sea level and also is 1500m away from the west point of Passar Village and about the 15km away of the west point of Hersin town (map.1). This Tappeh has been firstly found by Mortensen and Smith in 1977. Based on various studies and surveys, this site has two types of the relics accrued to the Islamic and Old Neolithic periods (Ibid) and there is not any study about the older relics here. Also other people had various studies such as Abbas Motarjem and Yahghob Mohammadifar (2002), Mohammad Eghbal Chehri (2009) but they pointed out that there is not any relic older than the Neolithic period. The recent visits and surveys on the north part of this tepe were led to find a series of the Levallois tools accrued to the middle Paleolithic, moreover other silex outcrops were also found in the several parts as well – it seems this site could have been used as the raw material to make the applicable tools – this site has located between the old truss over GamasiAov River and silex outcrop of Passar village, therefore Qalakamandbeg site has been possibly as an open and outdoor camp to produce the stony tools in the middle Paleolithic period.

Conclusion
The comprehensive (recently) studies and surveys in the Kermanshah region shows the important of utilization methods accrued to the societies of Paleolithic period from their environment and also displacement models of these societies in particular. It is worthy to note that identification of this Qalakamandbeg site at the bank of GamasiAov River would be seen in the same framework, since it has been formed in proximity of the Hersin’s silex outcrops, therefore the regions (Kermanshah) where having raw materials to produce the applicable tools, should be carefully considered. The results of performed studies in this site point out this site had been taken as a tool-producing camp at the bank of the river due to the numerous Levallois tools accrued to the middle Paleolithic period in this site, finally in fact this site has been as a tool-producing workshop from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic period and after this period on, instead only an important Paleolithic site for the people of the Hersin region – Qalakamandbeg Neolithic Tappeh can confirm this claim.

Abstract
By author has been studied the areas of Jam, Riz, Saadat Shahr, Marvdasht, and Kazeron in Fars and Bushehr provinces from years of 2000 to 2007. During these surveys, 19 cave and rock shelter of Paleolithic period from plains of Jam and Riz are identified in southeast of Bushehr province that from this number, 5 sites related to Paleolithic period. The pastoral nomads of inhabitant in Bushehr province are most important groups of user these caves and rock shelters in plains of Jam and Riz. In this research are studied destruction factors of first of communities in south Zagros. The mining operations, non-standard construction, and excavations of illegal are the main factors of destruction in these sites. Furthermore, non-standard gathering the stone tools from Paleolithic period by archaeological students, and also unfamiliarity of the managers of cultural heritage of this region, are other the factors destruction these sites. So, for prevent the destruction of these sites must be done training local people and participation them in tourism this area. Introducing these tourist places in different ways is an important task to introduce these traces. Also, the build of museum site in the Paleolithic caves, and training of local children and tourists children, are from other effective actions. In this research for the first time, is study pathology of Paleolithic sites in Iran. The method of doing this research is descriptive-analytical. The analysis of this study is more reliant on information, founds, and data. So, in this research following questions are raised: Which is factors the main factors of destruction the sites of the Paleolithic period in South Zagros? And, what practical measures are there to protect these ancient sites? 
Keywords: Pathology of ancient caves, Paleolithic sites, South Zagros.

Introduction
Due to human activities are destroyed many of ancient traces as stone tools or faunal remains in the sites, caves, and rock shelters. The Mining operations, non-standard construction, and road construction are from main factors of destruction in ancient sites. The recent surveys are showed some of the caves and rock shelters of Paleolithic period in south Zagros affected by livelihood issues of pastoral nomads and indigenous people have been destroyed (Dashtizadeh, 2000, 2005, 2006a, 2006b, 2006c, and 2006d). The purpose of this research is survey destruction factors in these ancient sites.
In this research for the first time, is study pathology of Paleolithic sites in Iran. The method of doing this research is descriptive-analytical. The analysis of this study is more reliant on information, founds, and data. So, in this research following questions are raised: Which is factors the main factors of destruction the sites of the Paleolithic period in South Zagros? And, what practical measures are there to protect these ancient sites? 
For doing this research has been used from field surveys that by author gathered from areas of Jam, Riz, Saadat Shahr, Marvdasht, and Kazeron in Fars and Bushehr provinces from years of 2000 to 2007.

General description of studied areas and main factors of destruction of Paleolithic sites and protective solutions
By author has been studied the areas of Jam, Riz, Saadat Shahr, Marvdasht, and Kazeron in Fars and Bushehr provinces from years of 2000 to 2007. During these surveys, 19 cave and rock shelter of Paleolithic period from plains of Jam and Riz are identified in southeast of Bushehr province that from this number, 5 sites related to Paleolithic period (Dashtizadeh, 2009). The pastoral nomads of inhabitant in Bushehr province are most important groups of user these caves and rock shelters in plains of Jam and Riz. Furthermore, 17 caves and rock shelters of Paleolithic period have been identified from the plain of Saadat Shahr (Dashtizadeh, 2006c, 2006d, and 2012). Of course before that 17 caves and rock shelters of Paleolithic period have been identified from the Marvdasht plain in the northeast of Shiraz. From the Kazeron plain have been identified numbers of 27 caves and rock shelters of Paleolithic period. For this research is again studied the basin of Maharloo lake (Barfi, 2007). Generally, mining operations, non-standard construction, excavations of illegal, pastoral nomads, unfamiliarity of the managers of cultural heritage of this region, and non-standard gathering the stone tools from Paleolithic period by archaeological students are the main factors of destruction in Paleolithic sites in the area of south Zagros. First these archaeological sites are must be on the national monuments list. One of the main duties of the Cultural Heritage Organization is training the local community and tourists to preserve national monuments. Education and awareness of people this region (As the main guardians of the cultural heritage), is important work in this direction. The build of museum site in the Paleolithic caves, and training of local children and tourists children, are from other effective actions.

Conclusion 
Generally, mining operations, non-standard construction, excavations of illegal, pastoral nomads, unfamiliarity of the managers of cultural heritage of this region, and non-standard gathering the stone tools from Paleolithic period by archaeological students are the main factors of destruction in Paleolithic sites in the area of south Zagros. It seams, first these archaeological sites are must be on the national monuments list. One of the main duties of the Cultural Heritage Organization is training the local community and tourists to preserve national monuments. Education and awareness of people this region (As the main guardians of the cultural heritage), is important work in this direction. The build of museum site in the Paleolithic caves, and training of local children and tourists children, are from other effective actions.

Abstract
Dehloran plain, because of geographic location itself has always been one of the population centers in the southwest of Iran. Also, this area, because of permanent and seasonal rivers and fertile fields has been a good place to live in a long time. In terms of natural landscape, this plain is divisible into three regions of eastern, central and western. The first area (eastern area) is includes east of Dehloran plain, that consists of peaks and slopes of Zagros Mountains. The second area are including of lands near to these mountains. This area by floods of these mountains is covered with rocks and coarse-grained sediments. The third area (western area) is includes settlements from Neolithic to contemporary period and farming fields. Overall, these three areas for a long time, because of the rocky shelters in Zagros Mountains have been good place to live a human. On the other hand, these areas because of animals and suitable vegetation them, have been provider of food for human groups. Furthermore, because of existence conglomerate sediments eastern highlands of Dalpari in Dehloran, human access has been easy to rich sources of raw rock for make stone tools. This area that is more than 30 kilometers long, on the way of Zagros Mountains of Dalpari near to Dehloran plain and Dasht-e Abbas, covered with stone tools. These stone tools are containing of indicator samples of points, blades, centripetal core, Levallois chips. These samples can be sign of human existence at least from the middle Paleolithic period. So, existence of the Neolithic settlements to the late Islamic era is sign of a long process from the settlement human in this area.
Keywords: Zagros Mountains, Paleolithic, Dalpari, Dehloran.

Introduction
In 2015, in order to organize the western waters of the country, survey and identification programs frontier areas located in the provinces of Kermanshah and Ilam in format of ten programs for survey and identification (plan of tropical) were implemented. These programs were containing of identification water transfer routes, place of construction of dams, and drainage networks. The drainage network number 23 was studied by the author. This network was containing of Patk plain in Musian (eastern half of Dehloran), that water supply project it was on the agenda of the government. Therefore, all this plain with license number 943141/00/6495 with date of 2015/11/15 from Iranian center for archaeological research was carefully surveyed. During this survey (includes the southernmost tropical system in the south of the Ilam province), in addition to the identification of sites and ancient hills was surveyed wide area in the east of the plain that were many stone tools in it. The Dalpari area is several kilometers along the Zagros Mountains continue. The research background in relation to this area is shows the main focus of researchers on the sites belonging to the Neolithic period to the historic period and hasn’t been studied previous periods. The only survey of the Paleolithic period was done by Mohsen Zeynivand in year of 2015 in network number 22, that it has led to the identification and introduction of stone tools of type a Biface (Zeynivand, 2016 & 2017). So, the eastern half of Patk plain in Musian hasn’t been surveyed prior to this study. 

Introduction of identified traces 
A: Rock shelters
In a small part of the Dalpari Mountains a large number of small and large holes were identified with shelter form. These holes and shelters in sedimentary and conglomerate layers in low height hills have been formed with weak structure. The depth and width of the crater some of these holes and shelters 2 to 3 meters and high to 1.8 meters. Because of weak cement structure conglomerate and the existence of sedimentary layers of silicate and clay of non-condensing environmental degradation factors as wind and rain, it seems, these holes and shelters over time have been changed a lot. Due to a lot of stone tools inside and around of these sites, probably they were remnants of older refuges that used by humans (at least late) in the Paleolithic period. Today this area, because of a water fountain is used by pastoral nomads this area.

B: Surface finds
Mainly, at the surface of this area, can be seen stone tools includes blades, centripetal core, levallois chips, points, scrapers, and micro blades. The stone tools can be seen in all of plain, but in around the rivers less seen. Because of the continuity of distribution stone tools at surface this area, all of this range is introduced as a zone. During the survey this area, samples were collected from different parts of it. In total, 129 sites were encoded and distribution of the findings recorded. This area that is more than 30 kilometers long, on the way of Zagros Mountains of Dalpari near to Dehloran plain and Dasht-e Abbas, covered with stone tools. These stone tools are containing of indicator samples of points, blades, centripetal core, Levallois chips. Dating of samples collected is between 40,000 years and 16,000 years ago (Olszewski & Dibble, 1993).

Conclusion
Probably, dating stone tools collected of the Dalpari is between 40,000 years and 16,000 years ago. At most of surface the land in this area (except for a small area in the mountains) isn’t seen evidence of permanent deployment such as a cave or shelter. However, in these areas is identified little evidence of temporary and seasonal deployment of human in a small part of the northern mountains of the area. In this area, can be seen conglomerate and sedimentary layers, and because of the natural erosion including wind and rain have been created holes and shelters. These holes and shelters due to loose cement conglomerate and sedimentary layers is young seems to arrive, but stone tools around them doesn’t show this.

Abstract
One of the key issues of the Paleolithic archaeology is pathways and expansion routes of Pleistocene human populations into Asia. Recent discovered Paleolithic sites in the southern coasts and hinterlands of Iran, indicate the importance of these zones in the Pleistocene human dispersals. The 1977 joint French-Iranian geological survey carried out by Thibault, Dufaure, Mercier and Kadjar, gave rise to one of the important contributions to Paleolithic knowledge on the northern coastline of the Persian Gulf and the Oman Sea in pre-revolutionary years. During this survey, remarkable lithic assemblages were collected above a sequence of successive pediment surface, but unfortunately, the final report of Paleolithic finds, was never published. The lithic collections kept at the Paleolithic Department of National Museum of Iran. In this paper, the techno-typological characteristics of this collection is presented. The most prominent feature of this collection is the core-flake industry of the Lower Paleolithic; although we are not sure about the Acheulian evidence. The Middle Paleolithic artifacts in the collections are defined by Levallois debitages, discoid/semi-centripetal cores, and scrapers on flakes, especially transverse and oblique scrapers; however, it is not enough to attribute these finds to the Mousterian culture. The low frequencies of the blades and the lack of bladelets make it difficult to draw conclusions about the Upper/Epipaleolithic industries. The small number of blades and the presence of single platform blade/bladelet core, as well as a truncated blade, are possible evidence of Upper/Epipaleolithic presence in these assemblages. These assemblages can be considered as a new insight into technological behavior of Pleistocene hunter-gatherers in this poorly known part of the Iranian plateau. They show the high capacity of northern shores and littoral of the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea for Pleistocene archaeological studies, and a notable place to test hypotheses such as Out-of-Africa and coastal expansions.
Keywords: Persian Gulf, Oman Sea, Pleistocene Archaeology, Paleolithic, Lithic industries, Coastal Dispersal.

Introduction
An important aspect of Paleolithic archeology relates to pathways and routes taken by Pleistocene human groups in Asia. Discovered Paleolithic sites along the northern coasts and hinterlands of the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Oman Sea (Thibault, 1977; Vita-Finzi & Copeland, 1980; Sarlak et al. 2004; Dashtizadeh, 2009, 2010, 2012a, 2012b; Ali Talesh, 2012; Biglari et al. 2012; Barfi et al. 2013; Zarei & Ravaei 2013; Anjomrooz, 2019; Rahmati & Dashtizadeh, 2019; Zarei, 2021) indicate the importance of these zones in the Pleistocene human dispersals. One of these region that produced a substantial body of evidence is the northeastern shores of the Strait of Hormuz in the Hormozgan Province.
The first Paleolithic material discovered along the southern coast of Iran was by Vita-Finzi during his 1974 and 1975 fieldwork along the Makran coast. It constituted a surface collection with Middle Paleolithic characteristics, including the use of the Levallois method (Vita-Finzi & Copeland, 1980). After that, the French-Iranian joint team with the supervision of Claude Thibault and Mohammad Hassan Kadjar surveyed this region during April and May 1977. During this mission, remarkable lithic assemblages were collected on the surface of a succession of pediment surfaces (Thibault, 1977; Dufaure, 1978). Unfortunately, the final report of this survey was never published due to the untimely death of Thibault (Thibault, 1977; Amirlou, 1986; Biglari & Shidrang 2006). The lithic assemblages kept in the Paleolithic Department of the National Museum of Iran, has been studied by the author for a Master thesis (Zarei, 2015). A small part of the survey finds was taken to Bordeaux University by Thibault for further analysis and therefore were excluded from this study (F. Biglari, personal communication, Jan 2014). In this paper, I present the techno-typological characteristic of this lithic collection.

The 1977 Joint French-Iranian Geological Mission
The French-Iranian joint field mission included the following: C. Thibault as Quaternary geologist and Paleolithic archeologist; Jean-Jacques Dufaure as geomorphologist and Jacques Mercier and M. H. Kadjar, both structural and regional geologists, all arrived together in April 1977 with base camp in Minab. On the very first day of field work along the Hassan Langi to Roudan road section, Thibault began picking up lithics material left behind on a pediment surface superposed on a magnificently exposed reverse fault. Unfortunately, with the untimely death of Thibault in a car accident during an archeological mission in Algeria, a final publication concerning these Paleolithic finds was no longer possible but accompanied with a preliminary field report (Thibault, 1977). Dufaure, also wrote a detailed review and synthesis of his observations (Dufaure, 1978). After two decades, a new French team came back to the Minab area to set up a GPS network for Neotectonic studies. Regard and colleagues also measured in situ produced 10Be in quartz boulders exposed on the top surfaces of Late Quaternary sequences (Regard et al. 2005).
With the initial establishment of Center for Paleolithic Research (later Paleolithic Department) in 2000 and officially starting this center, all lithics were taken out from warehouses of museum and organized at this center. Meanwhile, Thibault’s collection was obtained and transferred to the Paleolithic Department and the was briefly studied by Biglari and Shidrang (2006). Initially, the assemblages which consists of 430 lithics, were divided into 6 general categories based on the locations in the tags which include: Minab-Roudan Road, Minab, Sadich, Hassan Langi, and two untitled locations. These locations contain 22 sampling points based on the combination code of the tags. Due to the presence of geofacts in the initial observation, the geofacts and lithic artifacts were separated, which resulted in the identification of 160 lithics (37.2%) and 270 geofacts (62.8%).

Conclusion
Paleolithic research in Southern Iranian coasts, began in 1974-77 following the geological studies of east Hormozgan. During the geological survey of French-Iranian joint mission by Thibault and Kadjar in 1977, a significant lithic assemblage was collected. The typo-technological characteristics of Lower Paleolithic core-flake in these assemblages shares some similarities with Baluchistan region and Arabian Peninsula. In addition, possible artifacts attributed to Acheulian culture are comparable to the Arabian Peninsula; however, such evidence has not been reported in more northern regions such as Kerman, Fars, and Southern Zagros. On the other hand, the use of Levallois method along with some scrapers in the Middle Paleolithic period is comparable to the examples of Arabian Peninsula, Southern Zagros, Fars, and Kerman. However, these assemblages do not provide sufficient information to identify the Upper Paleolithic/Epipaleolithic culture on the southern coasts of Iran and its comparison with the neighboring regions.
The surface of the Persian Gulf has been affected by changes in the mean sea level and these changes caused the Gulf to pull back to follow the Strait of Hormuz during the Middle and Upper Pleistocene and in several phases dried completely (Rose & Petraglia, 2009; Rose, 2010; Armitage et al., 2011). According to the recent finds, it is possible that Pleistocene human groups entered the northern shores of the Persian Gulf after passing the Arabian Peninsula and crossing the dry Strait of Hormuz. However, the route of distribution from Southern Zagros to the northern shores of the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman is also worth considering and must be tested. To gain more concise details regarding the Pleistocene human distribution in this region, intensive and systematic survey, excavation of in situ deposits, absolute datings and more accurate knowledge of the typo-technological characteristics are needed, that should be expected in the near future.