section_path: History/Early settlement nearby
section_name: Early settlement nearby
paragraph_text: Early settlement nearby
  
  The earliest hominid remains found around the Caspian Sea are from Dmanisi dating back to around 1.8 Ma and yielded a number of skeletal remains of Homo erectus or Homo ergaster. More later evidence for human occupation of the region came from a number of caves in Georgia and Azerbaijan such as Kudaro and Azykh Caves. There is evidence for Lower Palaeolithic human occupation south of the Caspian from western Alburz. These are Ganj Par and Darband Cave sites.
  
  Neanderthal remains also have been discovered at a cave in Georgia. Discoveries in the Hotu cave and the adjacent Kamarband cave, near the town of Behshahr, Mazandaran south of the Caspian in Iran, suggest human habitation of the area as early as 11,000 years ago. Ancient Greeks focused on the civilization on the south shore – they call it the (H)yr(c/k)anian Sea (Ancient Greek: Υρκανία θάλαττα, with sources noting the latter word was evolving then to today's Thelessa: late Ancient Greek: θάλασσα).
  
  Hafiz-i Abru, a fourteenth century Timurid Empire geographer, has recorded that the destruction of Oxus river dam and irrigation works which diverting the river flow towards Caspian sea, has caused Aral sea to nearly disappear.