TEHRAN— The oldest artifacts identified in Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari province include stone tools and artifacts from the Upper Paleolithic and early Neolithic periods.

These artifacts were found and studied in ancient caves in the cities of Shahr-e Kord, Ardal, and Lordegan, and are about 10,000 to 11,000 years old, Miras-e Arya (CHTN) wrote. 

Mass graves, stone staircases, stone inscriptions, lion-inspired statues (known as Shir-e Sangi), and stone caravanserais are among the stone monuments of the Elymaean (Elymais) and Sasanian periods that are currently protected as ancient monuments.

The relatively intact lion statues in the cemeteries of Farsan, Koohrang, Ardal, and Kiar counties are actually a legacy that has remained among the Bakhtiari people since the Qajar era.

The lion statue tells the story of the likeness of the courage and bravery of the Ilkhan, warriors, horsemen, khans, sheriffs, chiefs, and elders of the Bakhtiari tribes to the lions.

For this reason, upon the death of one of these elders, a lion statue was made by local stonemasons and installed on the graves of these elders, and shapes such as swords, rifles, and horses were engraved on the body of the lion statues, along with the deceased's details.

In fact, lion statues on the graves of warriors and those killed in wars are a reminder of the men who adorned the turbulent history of their people in a mythical form in their name and are buried in the heart of the earth.

Carving and stone carving tools were the same traditional and primitive tools that were used centuries ago. Various types of chisels, heavy and semi-heavy hammers, steel pens with diamond edges, which are handmade according to the type of application. 

Due to the lack of consumption of stone products in the region by the general public, the production of stone artifacts is limited to taking orders in a small number of rural and nomadic areas.

To produce stone artifacts in Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari province, after transporting the required stone to the workshop, its initial shape and anatomy are first designed, and then its shapes and limbs are completed using a pen and hammer. Most of the designs and shapes in stone carving and the construction of stone volumes are geometric and abstract.

One of the rituals in the culture of Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari people, especially the Bakhtiari, has been to place a lion statue on the graves of the enduring, famous, great figures of the tribe.

The lion statue is a symbol of courage, bravery, and outstanding qualities and characteristics such as artistry in hunting, shooting, war, and individual horsemanship.

Islamic lion statues are seen in Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari and Khuzestan provinces and the surrounding areas, and Hafshejan in Shahr-e Kord County has been the most important center for making lion statues from the beginning to the present, and is mostly used by brave people of Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari tribe.

The oldest lion statue found in Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari province is related to Abdolhamid bin Ibrahim Hafshejani" in 1013 AH (435 years ago), dating back to the Safavid period, and there are certainly older Islamic examples in this area. 

Mohammad Bagheri Hafshejani, one of the stone carving and carving artists from Hafshejan, Shahr-e Kord County, believes that, nowadays, stone and carving products in handicrafts are no longer a priority for people. He emphasized that due to recent price increases and the decline in people's purchasing power, orders for stone handicraft products have decreased significantly.

He noted that among the types of stone and carving products, stone carving, mortar, tombstone, and flour mill (hand-made millstone) currently have more fans.
Director General of Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Department Alireza Jeylan said that sone carving, a remnant of the Stone Age, is one of the indigenous disciplines of this province, whose history dates back to many centuries.

He emphasized that this art and craft has been used since ancient times to make all the necessary artifacts and tools, including millstones, flour mills, gutters, mortars, and lion statues.

He added that but unfortunately, for various reasons, most stone artifacts have not been widely used by people and are only used and consumed in limited ways in nomadic areas and remote villages.

He considered the lion statue one of the most important and popular handicrafts in the field of sculpting and stone carving in Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari province, adding that lion statues are a symbol of courage and bravery.

KD