November 29–30, 2025, Scientific Secretary of the Institute of Geography AR MSE, PhD in geography, Associate Professor Saida Zeynalova conducted field observations on the shores of the Caspian Sea near the village of Kanarmesh, Lankaran region. The purpose of the study was to study the features of the coastal zone where stumps were discovered, which, according to the latest data, are interpreted as the remains of an ancient forest.

The dissemination of this information aroused widespread public interest, and several hypotheses were put forward in the media regarding the origin of the discovered objects. One of the most common hypotheses is that the discovered stumps were formed naturally as a result of changes in the level of the Caspian Sea and their subsequent emergence to the surface.

However, a visual comparison of field observation data and some morphological features of the objects allows us to offer a different explanation. Available data indicate the possibility of anthropogenic origin of the discovered forms.

Firstly, the identified elements have the same height in the range of 0.60–0.80 m, diameter 0.80–1.0 m (rarely 1.80 m), the circumference of the trunks on average reaches 2-2.10 m (rarely at the base of the stump 3.80 m). This is an atypical indicator for the natural distribution of this type of formation.

Secondly, their relatively regular location in space is observed, which creates the impression of an organized structure. Such a regular arrangement is extremely unlikely for natural forests that have undergone long-term destruction, especially in dynamic coastal zones.

In addition, the combination of these features reduces the likelihood of the natural origin of the remains and directs attention to the presence in the past of sites of anthropogenic origin, which, as a result of transformation of the coastal zone, were subject to modern marine influence.

Thus, preliminary studies suggest that the fragments discovered on the banks of the Kanarmesh River may be the remains of human-made objects that were subsequently destroyed (deforestation). Further laboratory studies, including the study of wood tissue and geochemical parameters, as well as comparison with archival cartographic materials, will make it possible to accurately determine the origin of these remains and reconstruct the history of the development of the coastal zone.