doi: 10.2143/ANES.53.0.3154564 ANES 53 (2016) 137-148 The Neo-Assyrian Bronze Coffin discovered in Sarāb-e Qareh Dāneh, Kouzarān; Kermānshāh: A Clue to an Important Burial in Western Irān Sajjad ALIBAIGI and Shokouh KHOSRAVI Abstract In 1989, during earthworks at the site known as Khāk Kan-e Sarāb-e Qareh Dāneh, north of Kouzarān (west of Kermānshāh), a valuable bronze “bathtub” coffin was accidently discovered by Chiā-Khazān villagers, and was later transferred to Kermānshāh Cultural Heritage Organization. It is an oval-shaped coffin with four vertical riveted handles leading to a seven-petal lotus. Although we cannot be sure about the archaeological context of this discovery, the small number of finds of this kind in regions connected or adjacent to Assyria, which is the probable source of these coffins, makes this example quite precious. Like previous examples from Ziwiye, Arjān and Jubaji, it seems that this coffin belonged to a prince, local king or dignitary, the bodies of whom were usually placed in tombs. So far, the coffins have only be seen in the western part of Iran, from Dailamān in the north to Behbahān in the south. Therefore, this coffin from Khāk Kan probably belonged to a prince, a local king or at least a dignitary who lived in the period between the late eighth and the early sixth century BC. * Keywords: Central Zagros, Kouzarān plain, Bronze bathtub Coffin, Median Period, Neo-Assyrian Period Introduction Up to now, bronze “bathtub” coffins related to different periods have been discovered at six sites in the current geographical context of Iran. These coffins came from Susa, Ziwiye (near Saqqez), Dailamān, Arjān (near Behbahān), Choubtarāsh (near Khorramābād), and Jubaji, Rāmhormoz. 1 All date back to the eighth to fourth centuries BC. The archaeological context of * The authors would like to thank Mr Ali Felegari, the respective chief manager of the Kermānshāh C.H.H.T.O. properties, Mr Alirezā Morādi Bisotuni, the vice president, and Mr Nourollāh Karimi, the trustee, as well as Mr Alirezā Barshāhi, the manager of the Moaven Al-Molk Tekyeh complex, for their association and support. We would like to thank Mr Nāser Aminikhāh for drawing the bronze coffin and for his ongoing association with us, and Mr Alireza Delfani, Mr Alimir Karami and Mr Mohammad Morādiyān for giving us information regarding this discovery. Finally, we are also grateful to Professor Michael Roaf and Ms Abby Jane Robinson for comments and helping us to editing the English. 1 Morgan 1905 (Susa); Godard 1950, pp. 13–18, Wilkinson 1960, p. 213, fig. 1 and p. 219 (Ziwiye); Curtis 1983, pl. 26a (Dailamān); Tohidi and Khalilian 1982, Alizadeh 1985, Stronach 2003, p. 252, Alvarez-Mon 2010 (Arjān); Adeli et al. 2006; Shishegar 2015, p. 82 (Choubtarāsh); Shishegar 2015, pp. 66–67 (Jubaji).