Kunji Cave lies in the foothills of the Zagros mountains, in the province of Lorestan, and it is one of the places where the story of early humans in Iran can be read. The cave, a wide shelter in a limestone cliff, has yielded stone tools and animal bones that show people lived here in the Palaeolithic, tens of thousands of years ago, hunting wild goats and sheep and gathering plants from the oak woods. It is one of several cave sites in the area, which together make Lorestan a key region for the study of prehistory.
The nearest city is Khorramabad, about five kilometres away, with some 330,000 people, and it has fuel, shops and places to eat. The city is dominated by the Falak-ol-Aflak, a castle on a rocky hill, which was probably begun in the Sasanian period and now houses a museum of the region's archaeology, including the famous Lorestan bronzes, small, elegant figures of animals and horse trappings made by the people of this region about three thousand years ago.
Lorestan is the home of the Lur people, who have a long tradition of pastoral life, moving with their flocks between winter and summer pastures. The landscape is one of folded ridges, deep valleys and forests of oak and wild pistachio, and the roads wind through them in long bends with views over river gorges. The Kashkan river runs through the area, crossed by old stone bridges. Surfaces vary, and landslides can follow heavy rain.
Spring is best, when the hills are green and the rivers full, and autumn is pleasant. Winters are cold, with snow at higher altitudes, and summers are hot in the valleys but cool on the heights. Ask for permission before entering the cave, wear sturdy shoes, and bring a torch. The silence inside is old and heavy, and the view from the entrance across the valley is a reward in itself.