Bronze is made by mixing copper, tin and other metals. In this period, bronze was more durable than other available materials, and so its production revolutionised everyday objects ranging from vessels to agricultural tools to weapons. The Near East and Western Asia were the first regions to start using bronze which aided the rise of the Mesopotamian civilisation of Sumer. Luristan bronze comes from the province of Lorestan, where a range of nomadic tribes lived. Bronze weapons represent the most common examples of Luristan metalwork and some of the finest weaponry then available. Among these, shaft-hole axes, adzes and pick-axes have been reported in great number and variety of forms, and have been vital to understanding the chronology and development of bronze metallurgy in the Lorestan region. Mostly recovered in funerary contexts, Luristan weapons were likely to have been used not only in everyday life, but also for ceremonial purposes.
To learn more about the metalwork of ancient Luristan, visit our relevant blog post: Ancient Luristan and the Luristan Bronzes.
