Khanileh (, also
Romanize
In linguistics, romanization is the conversion of text from a different writing system to the Roman (Latin) script, or a system for doing so. Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written text, and transcription, ...
d as Khānīleh; Kurdish: Xaníle) is a village in
Dowlatabad Rural District, in the
Central District of
Ravansar County
Ravansar County () is in Kermanshah province, Iran, part of what is unofficially referred to as Iranian Kurdistan. Its capital is the city of Ravansar.
History
After the 2006 National Census, the village of Mansur-e Aqai, after merging wit ...
,
Kermanshah province
Kermanshah province () is one of the 31 provinces of Iran, bordering Iraq. Its capital is the city of Kermanshah.
According to a 2014 segmentation by the Ministry of Interior (Iran), Ministry of Interior, it is the center of Regions of Iran ...
,
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
. At the 2006 census, its existence was noted, but its population was not reported.
Khanileh is located 6 km to SW of
Ravansar
Ravansar () is a city in the Central District of Ravansar County, Kermanshah province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district.
Archaeology and history Archaeology
Ravansar has important prehistoric and historical sit ...
and ca. 56 km to NW of
Kermanshah
Kermanshah is a city in the Central District (Kermanshah County), Central District of Kermanshah province, Kermanshah province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. The city is from Tehran in the western pa ...
, in Western Iran. It lies at southern slopes of the hilly range of Salakan and it has a commanding view on the Gomeshter (Garaw) plain. Salakan is a part of radiolarian belt and has numerous springs outlets on its northern and southern slopes. The presence of these springs and commanding view of Khanileh over the plain attracted prehistoric people to the area since the
Chalcolithic
The Chalcolithic ( ) (also called the Copper Age and Eneolithic) was an archaeological period characterized by the increasing use of smelted copper. It followed the Neolithic and preceded the Bronze Age. It occurred at different periods in di ...
period and the early occupations continued to the Bronze and Iron Ages. The remains of these early occupations are visible on an ancient mound at west of the village and an ancient cemetery of
Iron Age
The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...
period in the village itself. TL dating of a number of sherds from western mound has revealed two groups of dates: fourth mill bc. and first mill. bc. There is a low mound with
Parthia
Parthia ( ''Parθava''; ''Parθaw''; ''Pahlaw'') is a historical region located in northeastern Greater Iran. It was conquered and subjugated by the empire of the Medes during the 7th century BC, was incorporated into the subsequent Achaemeni ...
n occupation remains at south of the village called Tapa Bawa. These sites were surveyed in 1986 and 2006 that led to discovery a number of sherds and lithic artifacts. Presence of Islamic age potsherds indicates that the village was an occupation site during this period.
A very old mulberry tree (Ophith morus persicus) that according to local people is older than 150 years was cut in 2011 by the owner of the nearby garden
A photo of the tree taken in 2009
References
Hassanzadeh, Y., M. Karami, F. Bahrol’oloomi, K. Taheri, A. Tahmasbi, A. Moradi Bisetouni and F. Biglari (2012) Khanileh: New evidence of Chalcolithic and Early Historic occupations from northwest of the Kermanshah Plain, Central Zagros,
Kreyenbroek, Philip G., and Stefan Sperl (1992)
The Kurds: A Contemporary Overview, London: Routledge, 1992.
Levine, L.D., and Mary M. A. McDonald (1977)
The Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods in the Mahidasht", Iran 15: 39–50.
Levine D. L., and T. Cuyler Young (1986)
A Summary of the Ceramic Assemblages of the Central Western Zagros from the Middle Neolithic to the Late Third Millennium B.C.", Colloques Internationaux CNRS, Prehistore De La Mesopotamie, Paris: editions du CNRS Paris 198b), pp. 15–53.
Parpola, S. & M. Porter (2001)
The Helsinki Atlas of the Near East in the Neo-Assyrian Period, Edited by: Simo Parpola & Michael Porter, The Casco Bay Assyriological Institute The Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus Project, Finland.
{{Portal, Iran
Populated places in Ravansar County
Archaeological sites in Iran