Description and Analysis of ZafarAbad Petroglyph, Dehgolan, Kurdistan

Rock motifs and engravings can be considered as the oldest artistic effects and manifestation of the human society. It is estimated that the history and background of the existence of this rock art refer to more than thirty thousand years ago in the Zagros Mountains and it has also a long history in Iran. The plain of Dehgolan located in among the Mountains has always attracted various ethnic groups because of enjoying the proper environmental conditions throughout history and has always provided a suitable environment and conditions from the earliest days for living and continuity of the human life. Existence of many archeological works including Zafar Abad petroglyphs carved into the rock surface and the ancient rocky hills related to the different historical periods including the prehistoric times are evidences of this claim. Although it generally seems too difficult to determine the date of these rock engravings and motifs, the quality and the method of these rock engravings and motifs in Zafar Abad Hills and also the animals carved on these rocks make them more probable to be related to the prehistoric rock engravings and motifs based on their similarities. However, finding the pottery works related to the Parthian Era along with these motifs and engravings has doubted the assumption of attributing them to the prehistoric times. This report is an attempt to have a survey on the description and illustration of these rock engravings and motifs based on some field studies done in this area. Its purpose is to introduce an ancient masterpiece which has received less attention because of being far away and not being accessible easily. These rock engravings and motifs have been located in the southwestern slopes of a cliff in Zafar Abad and in the southeastern part of Kurdistan Province and the northeast of Dehgolan in the slopes of a mountain known as Mount Sheida. These rock engravings and motifs are the scenes of hunting animals such as antelope and deer by some people riding horses.