Kenacheh Cave

Kenacheh Cave (Persian: کناچه, Kurdish:مرو کناچی) is an archaeological site in the southwest of Kurdistan Province, in west Iran. It is located in the Sirwan River valley, between Naw and Asparez villages, in the Hawraman region. The cave was discovered during Darian Dam Archaeological Salvage Program in 2015, excavated in 2015, and it was subsequently submerged in 2016. The Darian Dam Archaeological Salvage Program (DDASP) was initiated by the Iranian Center for Archaeological Research before the impoundment of the Darian Dam reservoir.

Directed by Fereidoun Biglari, the program undertook multiple seasons of systematic surveys and excavations across the endangered reservoir area. These efforts resulted in the discovery of numerous significant sites, including key Paleolithic caves and rock shelters, and settlements from later periods.