Zagros Archaeological Researches

Zagros Archaeological Researches

Introduction and study of the petroglyphs of Simin village of Hamadan

Document Type : Original Article

Author
Esmai Hemati Azandaryani
Associate Professor in Archaeology, University of Bu-Ali Sina, Hamadan
10.22034/z.a.r.2025.731809
Abstract
The Petroglyphs are one of the most prominent examples of human life art, and various examples can be seen in different regions of Iran and outside of Iran. In fact, these works are part of the cultural-historical identity of any land. Western Iran, including the intermountain valleys of the Alvand mountain range in Hamedan province, is considered a rich area in terms of Petroglyphs. Simin village is located 10 kilometers southeast of Hamedan city and is one of the valuable collections of studies in the field of rock art, which was addressed in this research with the aim of identifying, introducing and analyzing the rock paintings of this region. The questions that the present research has tried to answer are as follows; what is the typology of the petroglyphs of Simin village and what are the most common ones? In terms of appearance, the petroglyphs of Simin village are comparable to the petroglyphs of which region? What connection can be made between the nomads and nomads of the region and the petroglyphs? What date can be considered for the petroglyphs of this region in terms of time? The authors have used field research and citation studies to answer these questions. The results of the research show that the Simin petroglyphs have many similarities with other petroglyphs in western Iran, especially Hamedan province. In this region, as in other regions of Iran; the most frequent petroglyphs are the ibex. On the other hand, most of these petroglyphs are found in rural areas and are associated with places that have suitable water sources for nomads and nomads. It seems that there is a significant relationship between the nomadic population and the frequency of the presence of these petroglyphs.
Keywords
Hamadan
Petroglyphs of Simin
Ibex motifs
Human motifs
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Zagros Archaeological Researches
Volume 2, Issue 1
June 2025
Pages 161-148