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Document Details : Title: The Arjan Tomb Subtitle: Innovation and Acculturation in the Last Days of Elam Author(s): STRONACH, David Journal: Iranica Antiqua Volume: 40 Date: 2005 Pages: 179-196 DOI: 10.2143/IA.40.0.583207 Abstract : In the interval since the fortuitous discovery of the tomb at Arjan a little more than twenty years ago quite varied dates for the tomb have been advanced. One early study postulates a date in the first half of the 8th century B.C. while another advocates a date between 725 and 625 B.C. More recently, still lower estimates have begun to prevail. This is in accord with F. Vallat's fundamental observation that the Elamite cuneiform that was used to inscribe several of the main objects — always with the same unvarying legend, “Kidin-Hutran, son of Kurlush” — has to be attributed to the period between 646 B.C. and 525 B.C. In line with this finding, and together with independent clues provided by a number of the principal grave goods, the tomb is now most often ascribed to either the end of the 7th century or to dates that fall early in the 6th century.1 Accordingly, in a situation where there is a dearth of Elamite documents of similar date which might throw light on the Elamite/Persian acculturation that was taking place at this still obscure moment in the history of southwestern Iran, the iconographically rich objects from Arjan take on unusual significance. |
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