Studying the Bronze of Sorkh Dom and Sang Tarashan Regions in Lorestan Province and their Motifs

the motifs of ancient times are derived from rituals, beliefs and customs that have maintained their unique features over the centuries. The most remarkable artistic achievement of Western Iran at the end of the 2nd millennium BC and the beginning of the 1st millennium BC is the bronze works known as Lorestan Bronze. The Sorkh Dom-i-Lori site, the first excavated site in Pishkuh of Luristan, was excavated in 1930 by the Holmes Archaeological Board under the supervision of Friedrich Schmidt. Sangtarashan site is also another ancient site of Lorestan located 52 km southeast of Khorramabad. The newly discovered site has an unusual texture. Studying and comparing the typology of the objects, these two sites were introduced as one of Iran’s largest bronze treasure troves. In the present study, authors examined the motifs of the Sorkh Dom-i-Lori and the recently discovered Sangtarashan sites. It was first excavated in 2005 and the excavation in the south and west of the site has not yet been completed. The study mainly aimed to identify and introduce the bronze objects of the two archaeological sites and also quantitatively study the types of motifs, and adapt the time period, form and content of the motifs used in the archaeological sites.The first phase of excavation was done in the area in 2005 and the excavations are not finished yet in southern and western regions. Studying and comparing the typology of the objects of these areas introduced these two places as the greatest Iranian bronze treasure locations. Statistically, most of the known findings attributed to the culture of Lorestan were not obtained through scientific excavations. They were transferred to museums from antique markets. In Sangtarashan, archaeologists are exposed to a series obtained from scientific excavations. Therefore, clear and certain foundations can be created to compare Lorestan bronze objects. The present study identified different types of bronze objects in the two ancient sites of Sorkh Dom and Sangtarashan with a new attitude and examined their motifs, concepts and applications with an amazing variety. The data analysis method was descriptive-analytical. Using desk studies, the bronze objects of both sites were introduced, and the types of their motifs were generally divided into several categories: human, animal, plant and geometrical, imaginary and mythical motifs. Animal motifs were most used. These motifs have been studied quantitatively, qualitatively and comparatively in terms of time, concept and form.