افراسیاب گراوند

Khoy county, as one of the archeological fields of Iran, has been one of the most important centers for the presence of human societies, and the process of formation of ancient societies from prehistoric to historical and Islamic eras is quite obvious and can be explored. One of the landmarks of this city is Shams Tabrizi, which is located in the northwest of Khoy county between Rabat neighborhood and Imamzadeh neighborhood, and on its southern front, there is a monument called Shams Tabrizi minaret. This area was excavated in 2007, in 2018, with the aim of studying the layers and archaeological deposits and being aware of the existence of cultural periods, by creating 3 boreholes in the northern and eastern parts. This research is the result of studying the pottery data of the mentioned area. Accordingly, the main question of this research is posed as follows; Given the diversity of pottery species and their adaptation to other sites, what cultural periods does the site chronology include? Findings of this study; The pottery of this area is classified into two main groups of glazed pottery (monochrome pottery, multicolor painting on glaze and painting under glaze and Esgrafiato) and unglazed (molded and ordinary pottery) based on the typology of pottery. And their adaptation to other areas should be said; Shams Tabrizi Khoy area is a settlement belonging to the Middle Ages to the late Islamic period. The peak of prosperity of this area was related to the Middle Islamic centuries and it should also be noted that the pottery index species show close similarities with other centers in the northwest and west. It indicates the existence of an extensive communication and cultural network in the region, and historical texts and travelogues reinforce this conclusion.

Excavations at Gird-i Ashoan, an archaeological mound in Piranshahr County in the Lower Zab Basin, have provided remarkable insights into the cultural traditions of the region during the Late Chalcolithic. At Gird-i Ashoan, the surface layers represented ephemeral Iron II-III occupations, the Mannaean period (Sharifi 2021c), totally lacking in architecture. Directly below these later contexts emerged the cultural material characteristic of the Late Chalcolithic, thus marking the presence of a protracted hiatus of several millennia. With its thick deposit of 8.65 m, Gird-i Ashoan in the Zab basin represents a key point in northwestern Iran. Excavations of Gird-i Ashoan revealed a Late Chalcolithic-period deposit, which extended from a depth of 1.00 m down to –9.65 m. Results from the excavations of the site are indicative of the interactions and cultural similitudes of the occupants of Gird-i Ashoan with northwest Iran, north Mesopotamia, Anatolia and the Caucasus.The material culture from the site exhibits close relationships with the coetaneous centers of the Lake Urmia region, on the one hand, and Anatolia, the Caucasus and Mesopotamia, on the other. Building on the finds from Gird-i Ashoan, the present paper addresses the reasons for the chaff-faced pottery’s extension over a wide geographic area from the Caucasus to Mesopotamia, Northern Syria and Northwestern Iran. Excavations at the site brought to light a Late Chalcolithic settlement of an unprecedentedly substantial range, consisting of about 8 m of continuous deposits. The pottery assemblages from the site include chaff-faced ware and Painted Pisdeli ware, suggesting that the site’s strongest interactions were with the Caucasus, Anatolia, and Mesopotamia. The Late Chalcolithic is represented by a thick deposit comprised of 24 layers and 4 architectural phases. A contemporary deposit of such depth, 8 meters, is as yet unreported from northwestern Iran.The presence of the CFW across vast regions was initially linked to the migrations of Mesopotamian groups to Transcaucasia (Marro 2010: 52). Yet, thorough comparison of CFW assemblages excavated from the Caucasus down to the Fertile Crescent, it is now argued that this widespread occurrence does not result, contrary to a frequent opinion, from the migrations of Mesopotamian groups into Transcaucasia; rather, it developed from a local evolution dating back at least to 4500 BCE. The territory spanned by CFW thus constitutes some kind of oikoumene, whose center of gravity is probably located in the Highlands, between the Euphrates and the Kura Basins but not in the Fertile Crescent (Marro 2010). The bearers of the CFW culture appear to have lived side by side with the bearers of the Kura-Araxes culture for a certain while, before the latter supplanted the CFW culture. Test Results of Petrography Techniques shows The inclusions identified in the sample under study are: phenocryst and polycrystalline forms, plagioclase, feldspar, pyroxene, iron oxide, silt particles, clay, calcite, and sedimentary. Based on the regional geology, these components all point to the local provenance of the raw materials. Quartz occurs as fine-grained, mono-crystalline, and semi-rounded inclusion. Another inclusion typical to the whole sample , calcite is particularly significant for pottery studies as its serves as a built-in thermometer. It is lost to heat as temperature reaches 800 °C. Thus, its presence in any specimen will mean the original piece was fired at a lower temperature.In light of petrography, the ceramics fall into three fabric groups. The first group has porous texture. A lot of empty space can be seen in the paste of this group of samples.Group 1 is marked by a silty fabric, having quartz and grog as the dominant component. Contrariwise, Group 2:The second group is clays with silty texture (fine-grained) and heterogeneous silty. In this group, various minerals such as quartz and calcite are observed in the form of coarse to fine pieces in the clay paste. In general, it can be concluded that quartz is present in most samples. Compounds like quartz are present in all soils and it is one of the main components of the soil used in the production of pottery. The presence of calcite is due to lime deposits.

Tepe "Chay" (1181 m asl) is a small site with an area of less than one hectare in and a height of 1 meter above the surrounding fertile lands, which is located 2.5 km southwest of Dizajdiz town and 10 km southeast of Khoy. The first season of excavation at the site was carried out in July and August of 2021 in order to delimit the site, to ascertain its exact extent as well as conduct soundings of the stratigraphy of the site to better understand its phasing, periodization and chronology. In this regard, nine test trenches were excavated in different parts of the site; of these, only three test trenches were located within the site’s limits and the rest were off-site. Based on the delimiting soundings the exact extent of the site was 7468 square meters. A stratigraphic trench (TR.10) was also excavated in the southwestern part of Tepe Chay and in total, 7.4 m of architectural, layers and cultural deposits were identified; virgin soil was reached at a depth of 8 meters. According to the typology of pottery obtained from the layers and their comparison with other sites of northwestern Iran, the a relative chronology of the site consists of four settlement phases belonging to 1) the Early Chalcolithic (Dalma culture) (Tepe Chay I); 2) Late Chalcolithic 1 (Pisdeli) (Tepe Chay II); 3) Late Chalcolithic 2 (Chaff-Faced Ware) (Tepe Chay III); and 4) Late Chalcolithic 3 (Chaff-Tempered with comb-design and perforated manqals). Futhermore a Kura-Araxes I (Tepe Chay IV) component is suggested for the sequence of the site. During the excavation, no cultural interruption or gap was observed between Late Chalcolithic and Kura-Araxes layers, and the evidence indicates a continuity and transition between these two periods. It is therefore possible that the Kura-Araxesian, like the Kul Tepe Hadishahr, originates from Late Chalcolithic society of Tepe Chay. Therefore, according to the results of the excavations of Tepe Chay as well as the excavations of Kul Tepe, Dozdaghi Khoy, Tepe Gijlar and Geoy Tepe, perhaps northwestern Iran can be introduced as one of the core centers for the formation of early stages of the Kura-Araxes culture. Evidence from the excavation also suggests a function of trade with neighboring areas, especially the prehistoric obsidian and salt trade for Tepe Chay.

The beginning of settlement in the Silveh River Basin dates back to the Neolithic period and then the Late Chalcolithic period. With the end of the sixth millennium and the beginning of the fifth millennium BC, the region has been densely populated by human societies. The study of the settlement model helps to study the formation of ancient sites in the environmental context. In fact, the impact of environmental factors on the formation of settlements cannot be ignored. The Chalcolithic sites represent the Dalma Period in the northwest. The study of the early Chalcolithic pottery traditions in Silveh River Basin indicates cultural relations with other regions of northwestern Iran and the Central Zagros from one hand and indicates cultural relations with northern Mesopotamia, Azerbaijan and eastern Anatolia in the Early Chalcolithic period on the other hand. By conducting an archaeological study of Silveh region and analyzing the archaeological data of the settlements in it, a new perspective has emerged in the archaeological studies of the region and Piranshahr. In this way, the study and analysis of cultural materials obtained from the region can partially explain the relative chronology of cultural periods in the region.

Ahranjan Tepe is one of the most prominent Neolithic sites located in the northwest of Iran which was speculated with making 30 speculations to recognize the extent of historical monuments around there, determine the area, compile a map of the width of the area, and organize the area to consider it as work of a museum park.  The results showed that despite the apparent area of the area remaining an area of 1300 m2, the actual area of the area was 2.6 hectares, a large part of which was destroyed because of wind erosion, rainfall, farmers' contravention, construction of residential houses, and so on. One of the most important questions related to this area is how it communicates and interacts regionally and transregionally with neighboring areas, which will be discussed. It is assumed that due to the location of the area in a strategic position and a highway connecting it, on the one hand, with the South Caucasus and eastern Anatolia and, on the other hand, with the central plateau and south of Lake Urmia, has been formed for commercial and cultural exchanges. Obsidian stones and their diversity in seven different colors and mother stones on their surface reinforce this claim. In this study, the findings of speculating are studied and topologized. Therefore, it shows that, in this area, the most primitive human community is formed, and inventions and innovations in fields of agriculture, animal husbandry, tool industries, and commerce are formed with neighboring regions. Regarding, most of the speculations which have been made near Ahranjan Neolithic layers the area of 2.6 hectares of this area in the Neolithic period testifies to the existence of one of the most important Neolithic centers in this part of northwestern Iran, along with Qarah Tappeh form areas before Haji Firuz.

Northwest of Lake Urmia, which includes seven cities: Salmas, Khoy, Garaziaadin, Chaldoran, Showt, Poldasht and Maku; It is located on the south bank of the Aras River. Due to the geographical conditions and communication route between the South Caucasus, Eastern Anatolia, the Central Plateau and the south of Lake Urmia, as well as suitable environmental capacities, has been the basis for the presence of human societies in different historical and cultural periods.Although the southern basin of Lake Urmia has been the subject of archaeological studies since the 19th century, the northern part of it, which has many capabilities and capabilities, has not been studied scientifically and the lack of scientific and methodical research in prehistoric times, especially Chalcolithic period is very noticeable. Considering that the set of environmental factors play an important role in the formation and spatial distribution of human societies in different cultural eras, it seems that human interactions with the environment in the northwestern basin of Lake Urmia show a different perspective. The present study for the first time will explain the settlement and cultural patterns of 21 Chalcolithic settlements and sites in the northwestern basin of Lake Urmia, which will suggest the time span from the beginning of the fifth to the middle of fourth millennium BC. The most important research question is what role and effect have environmental factors had on the formation, distribution and cultural interaction of copper and stone settlements in the northwest of Lake Urmia? In this regard, environmental factors such as altitude, climate, water resources, geology, roads and direction and the slope of the earth in relation to 21 Chalcolithic settlements were analyzed using the Geographic Information System (GIS) and the results showed that the most fundamental environmental factors in the formation and cultural interaction of Chalcolithic sites and settlements in this basin are three factors: "access to permanent water resources", "altitude" and "communication routs". The three factors indicate the dependence on water resources in a linear fashion, dependence on the field of land and plains for agriculture and dependence on transportation routes for trade.

One of the most important pottery of the Iron Age of northwestern Iran is triangular containers, first obtained from the Hasanloo hill, and most scholars attribute its history to the Achaemenid period. According to archaeological investigations of Silveh Piranshahr dam basin, 39 archaeological sites were identified in total. Triangular dishes are one of the most important findings of this study. Mostly imprinted containers are mostly in bowl, jar and pulp forms. In this regard, the following questions arise: what is the area of distribution of these types of containers? The main hypothesis in this regard applies to areas including western and northwestern Iran, eastern Turkey, the Caucasus and Pakistan. Do the triangular containers obtained from the Silveh Dam surveys show similarities with these areas? According to studies, it shows similarities both in terms of freckles and in terms of roles. And as a final result we can say that among the pottery of the Silveh Dam sites and other areas of northwest, western Iran and Anatolia, the similarities are more closely related to the pottery form. Keywords: Triangular Dishes, Silveh Piranshahr Dam, Iron Age III, Northwest of Iran, Regional Similarities. Do the triangular containers obtained from the Silveh Dam surveys show similarities with these areas? According to studies, it shows similarities both in terms of freckles and in terms of roles. And as a final result we can say that among the pottery of the Silveh Dam sites and other areas of northwest, western Iran and Anatolia, the similarities are more closely related to the pottery form.

Khoy Plain has attracted various tribes in terms of geographical conditions and suitable environmental capacities over the course of thousands of years, and has been the basis for establishing human settlements in different periods. The pattern of dispersion of the areas identified in this mid-range plain in the Bronze Age reveals the emergence and existence of a large center called “Dozdqi”, which in this period becomes a very important center. Dozdaqi with a height of 1200 meters above sea level is an area with more than 16 hectares and 24 meters above the surface of the surrounding area, the highest prehistoric area of the plain, which is located along the permanent river of Ghodvokh Boghan and the springs and wetlands. The existence of a salt mine as an export commodity in this area, as well as obsidian artefacts (imported goods) in 7 different colors. The percentage of the volume of distribution of pottery on the surface of the site indicates that the period of dynamism and flourishing of the site was in the Bronze Age, and it seems that during this period and for the first time in Khoy plain, there could be an over-the-center Of the 16 hectares.The existence of such a center is likely to be in the context of trans-regional trade. In this research, 20 samples of the Bronze Age pottery sherds were collected from the surface survey and speculation to determine the area and privacy of the study area and typology.

There are many uses of obsidian by prehistoric peoples that includes a long period from Paleolithic until the Bronze Age and before the invention of metal. Due to its chemical structure, obsidian has special potential for fingerprinting and provenance studies, and it allows for the reconstruction of long-distance trade and the history of prehistoric exchanges in various parts of the Western Asia. Until now, only obsidian mines have been identified in Anatolia (northeast, southeast, central, western) and the Caucasus, and based on experimental analysis of the obsidian tools of the ancient sites of the northwest of Iran, however, some samples obtained from various parts of Iran, have remained unexploited due to lack of studies on the origins and identification of major mines and other indigenous mines. This research is trying to analyze 38 samples of obsidian artifacts belong to Chalcolithic and Bronze Age (Kura-Araxes) cultures, from 9 different prehistoric sites in Khoy region with using the XRF analysis method for identification of Chalcolithic and Bronze Age provenance sources, and to clarify that in which period which sources have been used predominantly and whether changes to the source have been made by changing in each period or not they used only the same sources in different periods. Our analysis show that 53 artifacts from the prehistoric sites of Khoy came from nine different sources. The sources are: Meydan Dag (15 artifacts), Syunik (8 artifacts), Tsakhunyats (4 artifacts), Suphan Dag (3 artifacts), Gutansar (3 artifacts), Arteni (2 artifacts) and Nemrut Dag and Tendurek (1 artifact) and unassigned (1 artifact). According to analysis results Meydan Dag and Syunik could be suggested as two main obsidian sources of prehistoric sites of Khoy region. Keywords: Obsidian, Kul Tape, Hadishahr, Obsidian Mines, XRF Portable. Introduction & Method Obsidian is a material widely used by prehistoric groups and found in abundance on archaeological sites in the Taurus-Zagros region. Provenance studies have been the focus of intense research and debate among archaeologists and geologists over the past 60 years, especially those focusing on the Anatolian plateau and the Caucasus. However, obsidian studies in Iran have remained in an early stage, and only recent research on obsidian outcrops, carried out in parallel with prehistoric obsidian provenance studies, has provided the first opportunity to develop a database (Abedi et al., In press; Khademi Nadooshan et al., 2013; Abedi, 2015) and to outline a horizon and a perspective for obsidian studies in this country. In the mid-1960s, Renfrew and his colleagues (Renfrew et al., 1966; 1968; Renfrew and Dixon, 1976) used geochemical methods to study obsidian collections from the Zagros Mountains, the Urmia basin and the Central Plateau. Later, Blackman (1984) and other researchers demonstrated that long-distance trade existed between ancient sites in Iran and the obsidian sources located in Anatolia and the Caucasus during prehistoric periods (Bigazzi et al., 1998; Chataigner et al., 1998; Poidevin, 1998; Frahm, 2010). Recently, additional sourcing and provenance studies have been carried out by Iranian scholars (Agha-Aligol et al., 2015; Khademi et al., 2007, 2010; Ghorabi et al., 2008; Niknami et al., 2010; ; Khademi Nadooshan et al., 2013; Abedi, 2015). Some of these articles (Ghorabi et al., 2010; Niknami et al., 2010) suggest that obsidian tools may have come from an unknown source located in Iran (perhaps Sahand and Sabalan Mountain). Some of the results provided by these studies were inconclusive: characterizations presenting sometimes clear parallels with Armenian sources, or providing values (on SiO2, for instance) never found in obsidian (Agha-Aligol et al., 2015; Ghorabi et al., 2010; Khademi et al., 2007). In order to add new data to this discussion, this paper presents the results of the analysis of 38 obsidian artifacts from the Late Neolithic/Transitional Chalcolithic and Chalcolithic to Early Bronze Age periods in Khoy plain of NW Iran. This is the first time archaeometrical analysis will done on prehistoric obsidian artifacts of the region. After collecting obsidian assemblages from all prehistoric sites of Khoy, fundamental questions have been raised: what is the main obsidian source of the region? It is mono source or multiple source? Can we consider Syunik and Meydan Dag as main obsidian sources of Khoy region during prehistory? According to analysis possible answer to this questions will make it possible to draw local and long-distance trade between Khoy and Lake Urmia in one hand and southern Caucasus and Eastern Anatolia on the other hand. The present research is qualitative-quantitative based on methodology, after field archaeological sampling (38 artifacts from 9 different prehistoric sites), X-ray Fluorescence Analysis (XRF) method has been used to determine quantitatively the amount of main and rare elements. The Obsidian Analysis Results of Khoy Archaeological Sites The characterizations were determined using a XRF Philips PW1410 model. Some of the most reliable element concentrations in obsidian that can be obtained using XRF are Rb, Sr, Y, Zr and Nb, if the concentrations are above the detection limit (Darabi and Glascock, 2013; Maziar and Glascock, 2017). The compositional data measured for the 38 artefacts by XRF are listed in Table 2-3. A scatter plot of the Zr versus Rb concentration (Fig. 4-5) allows recognition of nine clusters from nine different archaeological site (Ghardash Khan, Shorshorik, Pirkandi, Dava Goz, Ali Sheikh (Kooshish), Maran, Doozdaghi (Amirbeigh), Kul Tepe Ghoharan and Chirkandi) which match the composition of the well-known sources: Meydan Dag (15 artifacts), Syunik (8 artifacts), Tsakhunyats (4 artifacts), Suphan Dag (3 artifacts), Gutansar (3 artifacts), Arteni (2 artifacts) and Nemrut Dag and Tendurek (1 artifact) and unassigned (1 artifact). (Table. 3-4). During the Late Neolithic to the end of Early Bronze Age periods a polysource model operated, as at least six sources (Meydan, Syunik, Tsakhunyats, Suphan, Gutansar and Arteni) are heavily represented across a large assemblage (N= 33), whereas the whole data results indicates a bi-source model heavily dominated by the Meydan Dag and Syunik obsidians. According to the interpretation of two seasons of excavations and obsidian studies, the inhabitants of Kul Tepe and Dava Goz and Khoy plain in general, at least in the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age, were agro-pastoralists who spent most of their times at the plain sites like Kul Tepe and Dava Goz or mentioned prehistoric sites engaged in farming and other household activities and moved seasonally in summer in search of pastures with their herds to the highlands. New research at the Chalcolithic site of Godedzor indicates a seasonal summer campsite in the highlands near the Syunik (Sevkar) obsidian source. This site showed good evidence of material known from sites in the Lake Urmia Basin, especially ceramic types. It presents Chalcolithic signs of Dalma and Pisdeli cultures. Excavators at Godedzor (Chataigner et al., 2010) suggest that this site was a summer seasonal campsite for inhabitants from Kul Tepe, Dava Goz and Khoy prehistoric sites and the Lake Urmia Basin (wintering region), using the obsidian from Syunik. They also suggest that obsidian was used only for local trade and personal use, not for extensive trade, because it did not diffuse beyond the Lake Urmia Basin. Obsidian appears to have been a byproduct of the pastoral lifestyle for local trade between the Lake Urmia basin and the Caucasus region. Analysis of Kul Tepe artifacts suggests that sites like Kul Tepe and Dava Göz and Khoy prehistoric sites (Abedi, 2017; Abedit et al., 2018 a-b) had an intermediate role in transferring obsidian raw materials to NW Iran and the Lake Urmia Basin during Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age periods. Conclusion The chemical analysis of 38 obsidian artifacts from the Khoy archaeological sites (Ghardash Khan, Shorshorik, Pirkandi, Dava Goz, Ali Sheikh (Kooshish), Maran, Doozdaghi (Amirbeigh), Kul Tepe Ghoharan and Chirkandi) proved that the main source of obsidian was Meydan Dag (15 samples) and Syunik (8 samples) but obsidian from other sources Tsakhunyats (4 artifacts), Suphan Dag (3 artifacts), Gutansar (3 artifacts), Arteni (2 artifacts) and Nemrut Dag and Tendurek (1 artifact) and unassigned (1 artifact) were also utilized. Only one specimen had an unassigned source. In addition, according to the study of obsidian artifacts, analysed by XRF, it can be suggested, that from 38 samples, 15 specimens belong to the Meydan Dağ source and 8 samples come from Syunik. The results suggested that the main source used by Khoy prehistoric inhabitants during the Late Neolithic, Chalcolithic and the Early Bronze Age was Meydan Dağ and Syunik, although Tsakhunyats, Suphan Dag, Gutansar, Arteni and Nemrut Dağ and Tendurek have been used in a limited portion also. The intermediate role of Khoy and The importance of pastoral groups in transferring the raw material like obsidian from southern Caucasus and eastern Anatolia to the Lake Urmia Basin identified by the analyzing of the obsidian samples during this research.

Khoy plain is one of the cultural zones of northwest of Iran. It is located in the communication boundary that leads to the basin of Lake Urmia, on the other hand to the South Caucasus region and to the east to the east of Anatolia, Strategically, especially for prehistoric societies, it is important in research related to the formation of early societies. The archaeological explorations of the region show that the oldest history of habitation in the area dates back to the Neolithic period. In this regard, the Duzdaqi area is a multi-period site whose archaeological deposits belong to the Neolithic period, the rocky copper, the bronze, and the Iron Age. This area with an area of more than 16 hectares and 24 meters high from the fertile ground around it, is the tallest prehistoric area of the plain, which is located along the permanent river GhoduKh Boqan and the fountains and beautiful wetlands around it. Due to its location on the route of the Iranian plateau to Anatolia, as well as on the important trade highway from Khorasan highway (Silk Road), Duzdaqi has enjoyed a privileged position for commercial and cultural exchanges. Evidence of this is the existence of a salt mine as an export commodity in this area, as well as the utility of the goods (imported goods) in seven different types. In this area, the earliest human community has been formed, and inventions, innovations and innovations in the agricultural, livestock and tooling industries and trade with neighboring regions have evolved and over time have led to advanced civilizations. The speculation project on the designation of the arena and privacy of the Duzdaqi area in the spring of 1395 with the goal of protecting as much as possible, the recognition of the scope of historical works around this work, the determination of the field and the development of a map of the area of the site was carried out. In order to determine the arena and privacy of this ancient site, a total of 24 boreholes in the size of 1.5 × 1.5 m were drilled. The apparent area of the enclosure is an area of 11 hectares, the results of which suggested that its actual realm was more than 16 hectares, due to the erosion of the wind in it, the invasion of gardeners and farmers, as well as the sand plant, a large part of this dam area and flattened. This essay describes the speculative operations and the cultural materials obtained from speculation.

The audience of every work of art is willing to receive its meaning, and the exact recognition of an image or image for its meaning and content requires reading and even interpretation, and iconography is essentially trying to express the meaning of the image.  In visual arts, a symbol is an image, a plant, an animal, or a sign that has a deeper meaning than what is seen. It is often not easy for us to get the meaning and interpretation of the symbols of the past centuries. Occasionally, symbols refer to an event or story, and a group of symbols replaces personalities and individuals. In this regard, the monastery of the Ghareh Kelisa is one of the most important Armenian churches in Iran, located in the northeastern part of Chaldoran. Throughout the northern and southern walls of the church, as well as the bell tower, it has unique and unique carvings. Sculptures This monument can be divided into five categories, including: human designs, animal motifs, plant designs, geometric patterns and mythological motifs. The designs are beautifully crafted, crafted, and beautifully crafted by experienced and experienced craftsmen, and the artist’s creative, abstract, decorative look is best illustrated in all designs and each role is a special symbol and symbol. Among the paintings of the Ghareh Kelisa, the role of animals is more than other motifs, both due to the variety of animal species in the surroundings and the symmetry of many animals such as milk, ram, cow, horse, etc. These motifs have no merely decorative aspect and offer higher meanings and concepts, and are one of the most diverse symbolism for symbolic aspects. In this article, it has been attempted to introduce and interpret the animal designs of this monument.

In different regions of Iran, numerous rock arts are obtained and the large number of them have been described and studied in various magazines and books. The rock art of Aqrablu in Bokan-Shahindej and karafto cave in Divandarreh, located in West Azerbaijan and Kurdistan provinces, are the valuable petroglyphs in the west and north-west of Iran. This study was based on literature review and field surveys. In the petroglyphs of Aqrablu and karafto, four-figure of antelope, picture or symbol of the altar, rhombic pictures and horseman’s picture who are shooting in the back of his head are analogous and comparable to each other. According to this, it can be proved that petroglyphs inside the cave (at least some of them) and Aqrablu’s rock art has belonged to a common culture and engraved by the same group of old artists and have been made in common time. Thus, according to the relative chronology which inferred on karafto motifs, a part of the designs belongs to the Parthian period and after that, it can be concluded that the Aqrablu’s petroglyphs also belong to the same historical period.

Elymais regions include the elevated plains and valleys of Bakhtiary Mountains in east of Karun River and in fact it is the northeast of Khozestan province. Although the exact determining of the region extend is difficult but during its life the extend has changed in terms of the new conquests of parthians and some more or less important parts of Elymais were dominated by small neighboring states. In the Seleucids era and especially during the parthians era the regions which are now located in Ize, Shoshtar, Dezful, Ahvaz and even Susa were completely under influences of Elymaises. So far in the Elymais region some reliefs are discovered and introduced and every few years one or more samples are added to this category such as Sang-e Mahi relief in Andika region. The subject of this sample displays the war scene like other reliefs. So far the war scenes are not specially addressed, while the effect of this issue is absolutely obvious in the Elymais reliefs and Sasanian period. This issue is pointed in literature, poetries and stories. Besides introducing the new relief of Sang-e Mahi, some other reliefs displaying the war scenes of Elymais part are examined and the Elymais artistic relationship with Sasanian art will be discussed in this paper.