Bestansur village is located 24 kilometers east of Arbat town and 27 kilometers from the center of Sulaimani province. Until a few years ago, according to archaeological and historical findings, the archaeological village of Charmo in Chamchamal, Sulaimani province, is the oldest human settlement in Kurdistan. However, archeology is a science that according to new excavations and research every year can discover new things in archaeological sites and record a new history, so after conducting research and archaeological excavations for the village of "Bestansur", it was denied that Charmo was the first archaeological village in Kurdistan; the results of excavations have shown that the history of Bestansur village is older than that of Charmo village.
History of Bestansur Village
With a history of more than seven thousand years, the village of Bestansur is considered the oldest village and permanent human settlement.
Archaeological sources, documents, and excavations and examination of archaeological objects in the village, prove that Bestansur is one of the first man-made villages after early humans left the caves completely.
According to the latest excavations conducted in 2019, the history of life in this village dates back to 7700 BC and it was found that human settlement in Bestansur dates back to the Holocene. The reason is that temperatures rose and many water sources appeared, which led people to leave the caves and try to settle permanently and work in agriculture and livestock.
The importance of Bestansur Village in history
Early humans lived in caves and were called uncivilized, but with their descent from the caves and mountains to the plains and foothills and began to domesticate, raise animals, plant grain, and agriculture, another stage in human history, i.e., civilization began.
One of the most important reasons for the formation of civilization in this region is due to the presence of the source of "water" and this reason is still an important source of irrigation in the region. Further evidence for this main reason is the existence of three other archaeological hills near the village of Bestansur, which prove the importance of the area for agriculture and prosperity, so it is recorded as one of the oldest human settlements in Kurdistan.
Construction in Bestansur village
The historical village of Bestansur, despite being considered the first permanent human settlement, according to archaeological research, was advanced in terms of construction and some of its houses consisted of several rooms, corridors, and halls. Some rooms were used as ovens and fireplaces for baking bread and making food, while others were used as warehouses for storing “grain”. They used the method of smoothing the floor of their houses with mud, especially inside the rooms, and in some cases, they covered the floor with stones. They also used tree branches, leaves, and soil to strengthen the roofs of their houses.
The latest research has made Bestansur the oldest village in the southern part of Kurdistan. After five years of research, a team from the University of Reading in the UK has revealed new information. According to their research, Bestansur is the oldest village, and agriculture was first practiced here, not in Charmo village of Chamchamal town.
What was the work of the residents of Bestansur village?
The residents of Bestansur village have paid attention to agriculture by planting cereals, lentils, wheat, and barley, as well as livestock breeding such as cows, deer, goats, sheep, and pigs.
