Comparative Research on hunting scenes in ancient Iranian and Mesopotamian art

This essay considers similarities as well as differences of hunting scenes in Achaemenid Persian to Sassanian and Mesopotamia’s art, Assyria in particular. Research is carried out in analytic – comparative style in order to review hunting scenes in these civilizations and to identify some hidden concepts through written documents. The research’s aim is looking for hunting scenes and to introduce symbolic concepts of hunting in these civilizations. The research tries to answer the questions about cause and motivations of carving the scenes. As hunting images are among old patterns of human beings, so they are preserved by civilizations as their symbols. Symbols of human (often kings) power in natural and even supernatural forces consist of animals such as lion, bull and legendary animals. The similarities and differences in hunting scenceis observed in art works such as stamps, dishes, paintings, arms, etc. One of the common aspects of ancient Iran and Mesopotamian civilizations is bull hunting as a symbol of season changes or prevailing of good over bad, as well as kings symbolic pictures in hunting scones to show their abilityto repel enemies from their country. Differences between ancient Iran and Mesopotamia can be observed is the fact that in Mesopotamia, the legendary animals hunting scenes are related to gods and heroes, while in Iran the king himself is a source of divine blessings and Strength.