TEHRAN – Archaeologists have identified the salvation of small eramites in Ize, Khuhzestan province, depicting the king in prayer to the god of sun and justice, the Iranian Ministry of Cultural Heritage said on Tuesday.
The ministry said the relief, estimated to be around 4,000 years ago, provides new insights into Elam’s religious traditions and cultural ties with Mesopotamia.
According to Hossein Feizi, lecturer in the Faculty of Archaeology, and Ayyoub Soltani, director of Masjed Soleyman’s Cultural Heritage Base, the discovery is considered Izeh’s 13th Elamite Bas relief.
Feitzi, an archaeologist, said that in the heart of Ise’s rock, a small but powerful piece appeared.
He added: “The palm-sized sculpture shows the king of Ellamite sitting on a simple throne. His right hand stood in prayer in front of the symbol of the sun.
“The ancient Ayapir was considered one of the important political centers during the Mid-Elamite period (1500-15000 BC), due to its strategic location, water resources and density of its historical sites. Susa’s written sources refer to the region as a city-state that is semi-dependent under the Elamit Rule.”
He continued. “The confidence at this bottom is about 26 centimeters, and is considered the smallest known eramite specimen. Despite its limited dimensions, its composition and iconography have a clear connection to other eramite works, such as the relief of Kul-e Farah, Khong Ajdar and Shahsavar.”
“Unlike most eramitelock carvings carved into uniform rocks, this work was carried out on uneven conglomerate rock floors. This very distinctive thing that distinguishes it has led to serious erosion.
Analyzing the value of the work’s symbolism, Faige states: “This rock sculpture not only introduces the manifestation of eramite rock art and ritual traditions, but also helps us rethink the history of eramite art and its cultural connection with Mesopotamia.”
KD