Dousheh Cave
غار دوشه · Ghar-e Dousheh · Dousheh Rock Paintings Cave
Mesolithic to Bronze Age (c.8000–2000 BCE)·Zagros rock-art tradition (pre-pottery to Bronze)·🇮🇷 Lorestan Province, Dowreh–Dousheh valley, Iran
About
About Dousheh Cave
Rock-art cave and shelter with 150+ parietal paintings on limestone wall (anthropomorphs, ibex, horse, abstract), Mesolithic–Neolithic–Bronze (c.8000–2000 BCE) with black/red ochre outlined figures, superimposed panels. Discovered 1950s Stein, documented 1970s Ghafoury shows two galleries (40 m long) with seasonally painted hunting magic panels and later geometric. Key for Central Zagros rock-art style and Neolithic transition animal symbolism.
Why it mattersCentral Zagros largest rock-art ensemble; Neolithisation symbolism.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Dating black outlines?
- 02Ibex domestication sign?
Theories
- 01Shamanic hunting magic
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- Natural cave painted c.8000 BCE
- Period
- Mesolithic to Bronze Age (c.8000–2000 BCE)
- Culture
- Zagros rock-art tradition (pre-pottery to Bronze)
- Builders
- Zagros hunter-herders
- Purpose
- Rock-art gallery for hunting magic and territorial marking
- Abandoned
- c.2000 BCE EB
- Rediscovered
- 1950s Stein; 1960s Ghafoury
- Excavation
- Excavation ongoing
c.8000 BCE
Earliest black outlines
c.6000 BCE
Red ibex panel
c.3000 BCE
Geometric late additions
On the ground
Structures & features
33.4800° N · 47.4300° E · 1100 m · 3 mapped features
Dousheh Cave — Red Ibex Panel
panel4 m red ibex hunting frieze, east wall
33.4805° N · 47.4300° EDousheh Cave — Black Anthropomorph row
panelBlack outlined humans, west gallery
33.4800° N · 47.4305° EDousheh Cave — Geometric late panel
panelDiamond geometric, south shelter
33.4795° N · 47.4295° E
Gallery