Zahra
KOUZEHGARI

SCIENTIFIC PROJECT

Gender study is new in the archaeology of Southwest Asia, and the study of women in the region's archaeology is complex. This is because women are rarely represented in the visual art and contextual records from southwest Asia. Contrary to other regions, women are more frequently represented in the iconography of the so-called Luristan Bronzes.

To determine long-term social transformations, status, and women’s role, this study aims to analyze the rich iconography of Luristan Bronzes by using a semiotic approach. The project includes a study of Luristan objects in known European museums. The vast figurative data accumulated will be classified according to specific criteria to provide the basis for the classification and application of an appropriate statistical method and to make the qualitative data quantitative to make final semiotic interpretations. The results of this study will provide insights into women’s changing and developing role in the ancient Luristan nomadic society.

Zahra Kouzehgari is an associated researcher in CNRS, University of Lumiere Lyon 2, and Archéorient Laboratory, France Lyon. She received a research grant from the Fyssen Foundation, France, for 2023- 2024 years. Her main research studies ancient weapons, warfare archaeology, military architecture, and warfare tactics during the Late Bronze and Iron Ages in the Iranian Plateau. She has recently focused on the study of warfare and the development of its related social classes and structures. Her current project is the study of women and their social, cultural, and militant role in the ancient nomadic societies of western Iran.