Identità e territorio. Rappresentazione delle élite politiche post-achemenidi negli Zagros nord-occidentali

Manifold rock monuments dot the territory of an arch-shaped mountain belt that roughly corresponded to the westernmost parts of Greater Media, Atropatene, and neighbouring Adiabene. The evidence constitutes a distinctive feature of the historical landscape in an area that entailed strategic routes through Western Zagros and eastern Taurus ranges. This contribution is a preliminary overview connecting some representative sites to the expression of power and social prestige in the post-Achaemenid and Arsacid eras (IV BCE - II CE). In this respect, the organization of corpora of evidence defined by typology, chronology, and distribution will pave the way for more detailed case studies and comparisons within Western Asia’s cultural scenario.