Status of Astronomical Symbols in Ancient Iranian Art (from Prehistoric Era to the End of the Achaemenid Period)

Ancient Iranian astronomers with strong astronomical motives and divine prophecies have always sought to relate celestial phenomena to human behaviors. They believed that there was a strong relationship between what was in the sky and what happened in their lives. About 6,000 years ago, the ancient astronomers recorded celestial movements. It is obvious that their attention to the sky has been manifested in various ancient art forms. Accordingly, the research questions of the present study are as follows: How did the astrological symbols (e.g., the sun, moon, sky, change of the seasons, and thirty days of each month) have changed and used since the Medes period to the end of the Achaemenian period? Why cosmic symbols were used repeatedly in ancient art? Is the continuous use of astronomical symbols and the existence of constellation in ancient Iranian art can be associated with the people's concern for their livelihood? The most relevant sources for the current study include a study entitled "Analysis of constellation patterns in Iranian paintings" in which the researchers examined the remaining patterns of the ancient Persia until the Qajar period. In addition, the origins of astronomy in religions and ancient traditions were studied. Moreover, the researchers' main focus was to know the place of astronomy in ancient visual art and painting and did not explore other artistic aspects. The present study aimed at examining the same issue (Sabetkar, 2011).