The Paleolithic survey in Jiroft County was conducted to assess the importance of southern Iran and the Persian Gulf in the dispersal of early humans during the Pleistocene. This study identified several Paleolithic sites that highlight the region's importance in human migration due to similarities in technology and types with finds from Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5 in the Arabian Peninsula.

This research offers a more precise understanding of population dispersal patterns between the two regions by focusing on shorter chronological intervals and conducting detailed comparative analyses within the framework of sea-level fluctuations. Evidence from Kuh-e Sheikh Yaghub, located in the northwestern highlands of Jiroft, is particularly significant among the identified Paleolithic concentrations. The site preserves diverse technological and typological elements representing distinct cultural phases, including the Lower (Acheulean), Middle, and Upper Paleolithic. The high concentration of stone artifacts surrounding chert outcrops, along with lithic debris, rejuvenation flakes, and finished tools, highlights the function of Kuh-e Sheikh Yaghub as a workshop site type. The lithic collection at Kuh-e Sheikh Yaghub is comparable to Middle Paleolithic tools found in the Arabian Peninsula, such as those from MIS 5 and 4 in areas like the Nefud Desert, Jebel Faya, Al-Kharj, and Domat al-Jandal, as well as Upper Paleolithic evidence from Jebel Buhais (associated with MIS 3). These technological affinities correspond with times when sea levels in the Persian Gulf were low, creating land bridges between the Iranian Plateau and the Arabian Peninsula. This supports theories of population movement between these areas, fitting into broader Out-of-Africa and return migration models.

Key Words: Pleistocene human dispersals, Persian Gulf, Kuh-e Sheikh Yaghub, Arabian Peninsula, lithic