The remains of cave dwellings in the Zagros mountains about 10,000 years ago indicate human habitation in these areas during the Paleolithic and Elamite periods (3,000 to 30,000 years ago).

The ancient name of the Zagros mountain range in Avesta is Sprouch or Sprouse, and perhaps Kor or Kor: according to Sumerian mythology, Kor (Kor) was basically the name of a mountain or mountains, and usually referred to the Zagros Mountains located in eastern Sumer.

Kor is also another name of the Akkad Empire, which was spread over the entire Zagros region three thousand years ago and before that.

Some believe that the origin of this name is Avestan. In the Avestan language, Zager Za-G'R' means big mountain. But there is also an opinion that this word is taken from the name of the tribe of Persian immigrants living in this area known as Sagarti in Iran.

The old name of this mountain range in Persian was "Pataq", which is also the name of a famous mountain range in Kermanshah province of Iran, and before that it was "Kohestan" (Arabic: "Jabal") and "Pahlu" or "Pahle".