Identification of a Late Sasanian stonecutting workshop at Taq-E Bostan, Kermanshah, Iran Qader Ebrahimi & Sirvan Mohammadi Qasrian Introduction The Kermanshah region of western Iran is notable for the concentration of Sasanian- era monuments, such as the rock-cut reliefs at Taq-e Bostan that depict scenes including the investiture of Ardashir II (Erdmann 1937) and Shapur II, Shapur III and Khosrow II (Herzfeld 1938; Tanabe 2003), as well as boar and deer hunting. Other contemporary features include the Bisotun and Khosrow Bridges, the sites of Shekargah (Kleiss 1996), Takht-e Shirin, Sarmaj and Haji Abadat Bisotun (Luschey 1996b), and the so-called Anahita ‘Temple’ at Kangavar (Azarnoush 2009) To create such monuments, the Sasanians exploited the region’s stone resources, and the remains of numerous semi-hewn stones are found in quarries at such sites as Bisotun (Luschey 1996a) and Chel Maran, near Kangavar; other quarries in this region include Bagh-e Melli, Elah Daneh, Minor Rostam Abad, Ghurejil and Helal Ahmar, all identical to the Chel Maran quarry in terms of extraction techniques (Mehriar & Kabiri 2003). This article provides a brief report on a newly discovered stonecutting workshop at Taq-e Bostan. The newly discovered stonecutting workshop at Taq-e Bostan The scholarly attention given to the Taq-e Bostan rock-cut reliefs (Figure 1) has resulted in the neglect of other evidence from the surrounding area. During a visit by the authors to the environs of Taq-e Bostan, we were able to record a number of stone blocks, including their size and the traces of cutting and finishing on their surfaces. In both respects, the blocks from Taq-e Bostan resemble those from Bisotun, a site of historical date, around 30km to the east, where the authors have extensive field experience. Covering an area 600m in diameter, the Taq-e Bostan site lies nearly 500m east of the rock-cut reliefs. Several hewn stone blocks are visible (Figure 2), closely resembling those observed on the slopes of Mount Bisotun in both their dimensions and the cutting technique used (Figure 3). There are also other examples that bear cutting and trimming marks, such as triangular grooves, that closely resemble those attested on blocks at Bisotun and Kangavar, and at the Chaghay quarry in Nahavand (Rahbar & Alibaigi 2012); this clearly indicates that a similar tool was used to remove blocks at Taq-e Bostan (Figure 4). The quarries at