Iconography of the scorpion symbol in the works of Jiroft civilization

Jiroft civilization dating back five thousand years is one of the most magnificent civilization of Iran, which was discovered and recorded in 2001. After some time it was considered by archaeologists. Most of the remains of the Jiroft civilization relate to the sculptures of chlorite objects, which are represented by a variety of motifs, including the monument, plant, human, animal, fantastic and sometimes they are adorned in stone. Among these motifs, the role of the scorpion, after the role of the snake, was the most prevalent among the people of this civilization. This role is depicted in both a natural and an imaginary form, in which the imaginary type is seen in combination with human beings. Among the motifs of Jiroft's imaginary creatures, the role of scorpion-man has the highest value, signifying its special place both conceptually and mythically. In this article, according to the position of the scorpion, the works in Jiroft are analyzed. The purpose of this research is to study the role of scorpions in iconography. Iconography is a method of interpreting the history of culture and the art that reveals the cultural, social, and historical backgrounds of themes and patterns in the visual arts. For this purpose, a descriptive-analytical method was used to collect data in both field and documentary methods. The result of the research studied the iconic aspects of the scorpion role and finally analyzed the findings by bringing the designs in the table and drawing the designs.

The research has a descriptive-analytical nature and has been conducted by the library-based methods. Among the works discovered in Jiroft, the statistical population under study has been selected and analyzed from "Jiroft, the Most Ancient Civilization of the East" written by Dr. Yousef Majid Zadeh and "Work Treasure of Jiroft" by Sedigheh Piran.

The ancient man created the animals from mud, stone and metal based on his beliefs and religion respecting and worshiping them. They were sometimes worshiped and revered as totems or ancestors and sometimes because of their natural beauty and power. In Iran, the identity of the animal motifs has undoubtedly been influenced by the environmental conditions, culture and religion of each tribe. Animal motifs can be divided into the symbolic domestic animals, the animals that were the symbols of power, belief and religion and the sacred animals that were worshiped as gods. One of the emerging civilizations in the Iranian plateau is Jiroft civilization, which was discovered in 2001. Among the animals which are a symbol of power and are rooted in the beliefs of Jiroft’s people, we can mention the scorpion.Jean Perrot believes that the people did not use human faces in drawing motifs, but they used the creatures which were superior to the human in the third millennium BC, hybrid creatures are an example for it. In fact, these individuals displayed the divine superiority existed in their minds by some symbols. In the scorpion-man motif in the works of Jiroft, the upper parts of all men's bodies are naked and the skirts have been fastened to the waist by the large scarfs like the Sumerian figures. Without exception, they have long hair extending from the back to the waist. Archaeologists believe that some parts of Gilgamesh narrative had happened in Jiroft and it is likely that its origin also belongs to this area. The word scorpion has been mentioned as Kharfster in Avesta. Among the works obtained from the Jiroft civilization that are related to the role of the scorpion, we encounter three types of icon, symbolic and index signs. Hence, Pierce believes that: “There are three types of signs: first, similarities or icons; they give images of what they are doing simply by imitating them. Second, indicators or indexes; which they imply through physical contact with things. Third, general symbols or signs, which are linked to their meanings through use”(Sojudi, 2003, p. 33).The role of the scorpion in the artifacts discovered from Jiroft is in the form of a connection between the animal and its abdomen and it is designed as a part of the abdomen. It comes out of the head of both arms and at the end of each arm, there is a plier’s image. The abdomen of this animal is 7 rings and the tail is in 6 pieces and the last piece of tail has sting. In each part of the body, there exist 4 legs, which are also very delicate and thin. These legs are in the shape of a wing tip. The skeleton of this animal is depicted with straight grooves, or zigzag row. Moreover, the statistical population of this study is a selection of objects discovered with the role of scorpions and scorpion-man that have been analyzed and studied. For better readability of the motif on the dishes, they were first drawn linearly by the author and then analyzed.

Undoubtedly, we cannot still analyze the art of Jiroft completely. Among these are the examples of the scripts that are not readable at present and the objects whose usage have not yet been identified. However, the study of the motifs remained in Jiroft civilization reveals that they were substantive among the people of that era. Applying the artistic details and skills of the creators is the outcome of a careful observation and indicates the animals that existed around them. At the same time, the artists’ power of imagination in portraying the imaginary creatures is also notable. The imagination that created the images can be considered as the outcome of the people's beliefs in this land. The beliefs that have been drawn symbolically relying on the physical powers of these animals, present creative images of the conquest of the powers of these creatures. The existence of epic figures of both human and supernatural creature which control the threatening forces and were created in Halil Rud district in the mythology of the peoples in the Bronze Age. The conflicts that are not ordinary and have special meanings that we may never understand. According to the statistical population, usually the scorpion-man has been defeated in the conflicts between scorpion-man with the man or man-cow and man-lion. Therefore, the hypothesis of the myths and Avestan texts about the scorpion associated with the underworld which is one of the devilish symbols is more probable in these scenes. But on the dishes that are seen naturally or in combination alone, one can imagine the hypothesis of reverence and respect for this creature and or its relation to the concept of fertility and marital bond. In any case, the source of this motif is rooted in the people's beliefs and opinions in Jiroft and other neighboring civilizations. The statistics shows that the scorpion-human motif among the other hybrid and imaginary creatures is the only motif that can be seen alone, face to face and or with other creatures. This issue also increases the importance of the afore-mentioned motif.