Preliminary reports of the late Parthian or early Sassanian relief at Panj-e Ali, the Parthian relief at Andika and examinations of late Parthian swords and daggers

This article examin es recent arch aeolo gical excavations with resp ect to two Parthian reliefs and an examin ation of Parthian blade weap ons (swords, daggers). The first archaeolo gical site examined is the late Parthian or early Sassanian cavalry motif in the town of Koohdasht in western Iran’s Lorestan province. The Koohdasht motif is comp arable to late Parthian and ear ly Sassanian cavalry reliefs such as the Parthian relief of Gōdarz II in Bīstūn and Sassanian reliefs such as those of Ardašīr I in Fīrūzābād and the Sassanian cavalry relief panels in Naqš-e Rostam. The second site p ertains to the recent discovery of the Parthian relief at Andika in Khuzestan depicting a Parthian nobleman lying sideways, leaning on his left elbow, as he holds a bran ch with his left hand. The theme of the Andika relief has p arallels with Tang-e Sarvak (B lock II) and the Tina mountain relief in Khuzestan. The third domain, which p ertains to Parthian militaria is an examination of late Parthian swords and daggers housed in the Iran Bastan M useum in Tehran