A Study on Heroic Motifs on Cylindrical Seals of Persepolis

Seals have been important as one of the archaeological findings with various motifs and functions from the past which recount different aspects of human life. The use of seals with various designs can be seen during the Achaemenid period (5th century B.C), including a number of cylindrical seals that have been obtained from Persepolis and have the themes of heroism combined with animals. Therefore, the analysis can provide important information about the cultural and artistic structure which ruled on Persepolis. In this article, an attempt is made to analyze Achaemenid seals and the reasons for their use as well as an investigation about patterns and their influence on the native Iranian art and other nations, particularly Mesopotamia. This is a descriptive-analytical research in terms of method and the data are derived from librarian sources. Therefore, the researcher will examine and categorize the designs and themes of Persepolis seals and then compare them with the art of other nations, especially the Middle East, and the conclusion is based on the analytical comparisons. The conclusion provides the information that seals with heroic themes and mythical animals of Persepolis have an extreme similarity and adaptation from Mesopotamian seals, especially Assyrian, and they have received the most influence in terms of content and structure from the Assyrian seals. However, in terms of credibility and dynamic, Persepolis seals have similarities and differences with Assyrian and other nations. While as some distinctions, the researcher must mention the special staging of the spaces on seals, which has made them unparalleled. While among indigenous peoples who lived on the plateau of Iran, these seals are more influenced by Mannaeans art than anywhere else; and even the animal themes on the seals were closer in terms of form to the motifs found in Hasanlu, Ziviyeh and Qalaiji than Assyrian.