Ritual Use of Shells in the Zagros Region of the Iranian Plateau

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Department of Archeology Bu-Ali Sina University,Hamadan,Iran.

2 Department of Anthropology, Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University, New Haven,USA.

3 Independent Researcher, Colorado, USA.

Abstract

This study attempts to explore two fundamental questions: 1) Why have shells long been used as an exotic and
non-subsistence commodity? And 2) Does the ongoing use and sacred character of shells provide evidence for
the persistence of a religious and spiritual attitude toward them? Shell habitats include the northern shores of the
Persian Gulf, as well as the Sea of Oman, extending from the southern Iranian plateau to the Indus Valley. The
extraction and trade of seashells as commodities have been in demand since the Upper Palaeolithic and continue
to this day. The analysis of the context used indicates that most shell objects are found in temples and shrines or
given as offerings to the dead. Clearly, this context highlights a religious significance and reflects the beliefs of
people throughout different periods regarding life after death and the special meaning attributed to these objects.
In ethnographic contexts, shells symbolise spiritual forces, serving functions such as repelling demons and the
evil eye. The brilliance and other physical properties of shells have captivated human interest from an aesthetic
perspective. Water has also played a profound role in the ancient cultures of the Middle East, with gods associated
with water evident in the ancient cultures of Iran from the Middle Bronze Age onwards. The enduring belief in
the religious significance of shell objects, which has remained relatively unchanged since the Palaeolithic and
Neolithic periods, aids in the interpretation of ancient contexts.

Keywords

References

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Iranian Journal of Archaeological Studies
Volume 15, Issue 2
2025
Pages 29-42

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