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Seal Impression of a Median Archer from Western Iran
Seal impression from Nushi Jan Castle Complex, c. 650 BCE.
National Museum of Iran, Tehran, inv. no. 13145.
Median art has few remaining examples and almost none that seem free from the impacts of its regional predecessors and contemporaries. The seal impression here depicts an archer in the typical long robe of Mesopotamian kings. He is posed with his bowstring pulled, prepared to release an arrow from his stronghold represented by a pile of rocks. A compact, linear form of the winged 'sun' is spread over his head. The winged disk (recreating the sun, the moon, or a wheel) was among the most recurring visual signs of omnipotent, overarching, and protective power in Mesopotamian and Near Eastern art. Behind the archer curls a huge python holding a green shoot. In the mythical epics of Mesopotamian literature, such as Gilgamesh, the snake symbolises rejuvenation, resurrection, and immortality. Although this seal impression was found in an archaeological site associated with the Medians and well into the Iranian heartland, it is suggestive of strong links to the Mesopotamian, particularly Assyrian art, beliefs, and lifestyle.
Questions & Answers
What are the oldest weapons in the world?
- The oldest weapons in the world are spears, specifically the spears found in Schöningen, Germany in 1995 dated to c. 400,000 BCE
What were weapons originally made of?
- Weapons were originally made of wood and stone.
What is the oldest gun in the world?
- The oldest firearm found to date is the Heilongjiang Hand Cannon from China, dated to c. 1288.
What are the oldest swords in the world?
- The oldest swords in the world were discovered only in the 1980s at Arslantepe Mound in Turkey and date to c. 3300 BCE.
