The Lion-Bull Motifs of Persepolis: The Zoogeographic Context.

Abstract

The lion-bull iconography during the Achaemenian period of ancient Persia has generated different theories of astronomicaland seasonal events besides the suggestions that it could be the symbol of the time cycle of the day, with lion representingthe sun and bull the night. However, the present paper draws the reader’s attention to the hitherto unexplored angle ofzoology to understand physiognomy of the lion-bull iconography in sculptural art of ancient Iran. The zoomorphologyof lion and bull attempts at taxonomic identification based on iconography, which is also influenced by observations,imagination and collective psyche of sculptors. Notwithstanding this human bias involved in depiction of the animal, thepresent study demonstrates ‘near-nature’ precision in sculptural art, thereby allowing precise identification and showshow the artistic manifestations reflect a combination of animal morphology with myths and collective observations thatmight have passed down since generations. This is yet another form of faunal evidence that needs to be taken into accountin addition to the skeletal record when confronted with presenting a holistic view of the animal world at the site.The paper is structured into three parts viz. Zoo-morphology of lion-bull motifs, Biogeography and Early History of lionand bull, and Faunal (skeletal) evidence of Lion and Bull in protohistoric and early historic Iran. This study highlights thesignificance of integrating skeletal record with other means of ‘faunal evidence’ in ancient literature, iconography, coinsand ceramics that are helpful in understanding ancient subsistence, and socio- religious structure.

Keywords

• asiatic lion
• auroch
• zoomorphology
• zoogeography
• persepolis
• iran