Maiwala (Persian: میوله, Kurdish:میوله) or Farokhshad (Persian: فرخشاد) is a mountain of the Zagros Mountains, located in western Iran, north of the city of Kermanshah. It is one of the mountains of Paraw range, with an altitude of 2445 above sea level. It is about 5 km long from the Tang-e Malavard at west to Taq-e Kenesht at east. The mountain contains several archaeological caves.

Maiwala
Meywala
Highest point
Elevation2,100 m (6,900 ft)
Coordinates34°24′04″N 47°07′40″E / 34.4010°N 47.1277°E / 34.4010; 47.1277
Geography
Parent rangeZagros Mountains

Archaeology

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Archaeologists have discovered artifacts of the Paleolithic and historical periods on the southern slopes of the mountain. Three caves were occupied by Neanderthals during the Middle Paleolithic Period including Do-Ashkaft Cave,[1] Malaverd,[2] and Dasht-e Kahou. Archaeological excavations have shown that about forty thousand years ago, Neanderthal humans used natural outcrops of radiolarite or chert around this plain to make stone tools.[3]

Climbing routes

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There are several routes to climb up to the peak.

Notes

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  1. ^ Biglari, F. (2004) Preliminary Observations on Middle Paleolithic Raw Material Procurement and Usage in the Kermanshah Plain, the Case of Do-Ashkaft Cave. In T. Stollner, R. Slotta, and A. Vatandoust (eds), Persian Antiques Splendor, mining crafts and archeology in ancient Iran, vol. I, Pp. 130-138, Deutsches Bergbau-Museum Bochum, Bochum
  2. ^ Shidrang, Sonia, Alireza Moradi Bistuni, Marjan Mashkour, 2014, Test excavation in the Paleolithic cave site of Malaverd Cave, Kermanshah, Proceedings of the annual Symposium on Archaeological Research in Iran, pp. 283-281, Iranian Center for Archaeological Research, ICHTO. Tehran. (In Persian with English abstract)
  3. ^ Biglari, F., (2007) Approvisionnement et utilisation des matières premières au Paléolithique moyen dans la plaine de Kermanshah (Iran) : le cas de la Grotte Do-Ashkaft, Aires d'approvisionnement en matières premières et aires d'approvisionnement en ressources alimentaires, Approche intégrée des comportements. Proceedings of the XV UISPP World Congress (Lisbon, 4–9 September 2006) Vol. 5, pp. 227-239. Edited by Marie-Hélène Moncel, Anne-Marie Moigne, Marta Arzarello and Carlo Peretto. BAR International Series 1725