Document Type : Research Paper
Author
Department of Ancient Near Eastern Studies, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany.
Abstract
The rock reliefs of Sar-e Pol-e Zohab pass have been the focus of numerous scholarly publications over the past two centuries. From the very beginning, the strategic importance of this passage in the western Zagros mountains was clear to the visitors. This passage has always been one of the key points of the communication route between the Iranian plateau and the Mesopotamian plain and therefore had a special political and economic strategic importance.
The presence of cuneiform inscriptions in Akkadian on two of these reliefs has provided valuable insights into their historical context. Among them, the relief inscribed by the Lullubi king Anubanini is the most well-known, owing to its inscription, which explicitly attributes the monument to him. However, analyzing these texts has not always been straightforward due to their height and the challenging accessibility of the inscriptions. In particular, the second inscription, whose author remains unidentified, has only been studied once, and many aspects of its translation remain ambiguous. Despite these uncertainties, various hypotheses put forth in recent decades regarding the ruling king and interpretations of the inscription have often been accepted as historical facts.
This article aims not only to provide a comprehensive description of all the reliefs at the site and their scholarly history but also to critically assess the translation of the inscriptions and the assumptions underlying these interpretations. By doing so, it seeks to clarify the historical accuracy of these hypotheses for Iranian scholars. Ultimately, this contribution underscores the necessity of further research, particularly on the second inscription (relief Sar-e Pol-e Zohab I), to deepen our understanding of these significant relics in ancient Iranian history.
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