Kūh - e Menār Khuzestan, Iran | A Team of Archaeologists Discovered a Unique Elymaean Rock Carving in the Zagros Mountain Range

A team of archaeologists discovered a unique Elymaean rock carving in southwest Iran’s Khuzestan province featuring a muscular nude hero battling a three - headed serpent possibly Hercules, an iconic character, regarded as one of the greatest Ancient Greek heroes of all time the Hellenic demigod son of Zeus and the mortal Alcmene, alongside a Parthian - clad figure with a censer, showing a rare blend og Greco - Roman myth (Hercules/Hydra motif from 325 BC Greek Coins) with Elymaean/Parthian culture, highlighting hybrid beliefs and artistic exchange in this autonomous ancient kingdom. 

The relief, concretely found in Kūh - e Menār a mountain in the Zagros mountain range, is significant for its distinct iconography and will help unralvel ancient rituals and cultural continuity in this Iranian land.

The finds that face severe erosion, necessitating urgent digital preservation represent a key pillar for understanding the religious practices of the Elymaean people in the central Zagros region as reported by the news agency Tehran times.

Elymaean also known as Elymais or Elamais was an autonomous state of the 2nd century BC to the early 3rd century AD, frequently a vassal under Parthian control, located at the head of the Persian Gulf in Susiana, an ancient region in southwestern Iran, centred around the great city of Susa, which served as the capital for the Elamite civilization and later a key royal city for the Achaemenid Persian Empire. 

The population settled in Elymaean inherited the artistic and cultural traditions of the ancient Elamites, known for their unique culture, distinctive language unrelated to later Iranian tongues and conflicts and trade with Mesopotamia, living a period of prosperity during the Parthian era, and their cultural influence can be traced back to the Sasanian Empire, officially Eranshahr, founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651 AD.  

Experts noted that numerous monuments, tombs, and cave paintings of the Elamites in the highlands of Bakhtiari confirm the vastness of their territory and cultural continuity. 

According to the source, a trapezoidal composition measuring 70 by 81 centimetres with three figures was carved into the rock. Despite weathering and damage, the composition emphasises heroic and ritual themes with a scene that has been inspired by the mythological battles between Hercules and the Hydra, which finds parallels with Hellenic coins from 325 BC. 

Key Features of the Carving: 

•    Heroic Figure: A muscular, nude male figure, likely Hercules, wresting a serpent. 
•    Mythological Combat: The three - headed serpents mirrors the Hydra from Grrek myth, a motif seen on ancient coins. 
•    Ritualistic Companion: A second figure in Parthian attire holds a censer or fire altar, performing a ritual gesture. 
•    Cultural Fusion: The scene demonstrates the assimilation of Hellenistic imagery into Elymaean religious and political traditions.

Significance: 

•    Cultural Insight: Provides new understanding of Elymaean civilization (2nd century BC – 3rd century AD), an autonomous state bridging Elamite, Parthian, and Sasanian cultures.
•    Artistic Uniqueness: Considered one of the most distinctive Elymaean reliefs, revealing a hybrid religio – political landscape.

Archaeologists claimed that the sculpture has a unique scientific value. Due to severe erosion, the carving is on fragile conglomerate rock and notably eroded, interdisciplinary methods are required for its study, including next - generation laser scanning and the creation of an accurate mould. Physical protection, digital documentation and an accurate recording of the site remain priorities.

Link 
https://tvbrics.com/en/news/archaeologists-discover-elymaean-rock-carving-in-southwest-iran/