Goddess of Fertility in Southern Iran Plateau

Abstract

Ancient petroglyphs of Dehtal site located in Bastak, Hormozgan province, with a variety of human, animal, and plant motifs and symbols provides an appropriate backdrop to recover the mythological themes and cultural environment of the peoples of southern Iran plateau from pre-historic to historical period.One of the symbols engraved on the stones of this area is the image of water birth; in this motif, two streams of water flow from a woman's womb rather than a baby.Based on the morphological and functional similarities between this motif and those on certain seals representing symbols of fertility discovered in Gyan hill and the Elamite, Mesopotamian and Zoroastrian goddesses of water, a comparison was made between the abovementioned themes.Accordingly, the symbol discovered in Dehtal is possibly the goddess of fertility with local characteristics in southern Iran.The discovery, emphasizing the inter-regional relationships and cultural influences from the last stages of pre-history to history, especially during the second millennium BC, suggests the importance of fertility in the worldview and cultural symbolism of southern Iranian plateau.

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