A treasure chest with Hellenistic sculptures from Elymais (southwest Iran) Archaeological, art historical and technical historical investigations of the sculptures from Kal-e Chendar/Shami

• Applicant: Dr. Gunvor Lindström
• Subject Area: Classical, Roman, Christian and Islamic Archaeology ; Egyptology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies ; Art History
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 453957385

The group of sculptures were discovered in 1935/36 in an ancient sanctuary at Kale-e Chendar in Khuzestan, ancient Elymais. They are among the few examples of Hellenistic and Parthian art from Iran. Eleven of these partly fragmentary preserved bronze statues and statuettes as well as two marble statues are in the Iranian National Museum, about 28 other mostly small fragments of bronze statues are in the British Museum.The aim of the research project is to investigate for the first time this important find complex in context and to investigate its archaeological, art historical, manufacturing and compositional aspects.The aim of the archaeological part is to reconstruct the partly fragmentary preserved figures and thus to determine the subjects of representation. The iconography of the statues will be questioned with regard to the significance of the sanctuary from which the statues originate, while their dating should provide clues to the beginning and end of the cult. An art-historical section will describe the relationship of these sculptures to the figurative art of other Elymais sites and to Hellenistic art and art in the Parthian Empire. An important aspect of the project is the investigation of the production technology and the material composition of the figures made of bronze, at least four of which were larger than life. They will be examined using the same methods as comparable finds of large bronzes (e.g. Riace bronzes and Roman large bronzes at the Limes) and thus made accessible for bronze research. Technical details of the production process will be investigated with regard to the workshops carrying out the work. Scientific analyses of the casting cores should provide information as to whether the statues were cast on site or imported. The material analyses of the bronzes (including pXRF) will provide information on the origin of the raw materials and thus on the raw material networks used in Hellenistic and Parthian times. Overall, the project will contribute to our understanding of the sanctuary in Kal-e Chendar, the history of Hellenistic and Parthian art, and the knowledge of ancient bronzes.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Iran
• Cooperation Partner: Dr. Omid Oudbashi