Ancient Persian craftsmen developed great skills in bronze working, crafting some of the finest tools and weaponry at the time available. These include a great number of ornaments, tools, weapons, and horse-fittings, as well as a smaller number of vessels. They have been uncovered in recorded excavations, and generally come from burial sites. The ethnicity of the people who created them remains unclear, though they may well have been Persian, and possibly related to the modern Lur people. Cast spike-butted axes, such as this fine example, are hallmarks of Luristan bronze weaponry during the Early Iron Age, between 1200 and 1000 BC.
To learn more about the metalwork of ancient Luristan, visit our relevant blog post: Ancient Luristan and the Luristan Bronzes.
