Amlash Terracotta Rhyton

The Amlash culture is known almost exclusively through the archaeological material that has emerged in recent decades. We know little about the people themselves, other than the fact that they were highly skilled artists and artisans. Otherwise, it appears that this ancient culture once inhabited the mountainous regions bordering the Caspian Sea in the north of modern day Iran. According to the archaeological record, their culture appeared to reach its plateau during the 9th and 8th Centuries B.C. Although we are uncertain whether the population was native to the land or migrated from border regions, the subject matter of their art and pottery, which characteristically include themes relating to nature, is clearly linked to the art of their contemporary neighbors including the cultures of Luristan and Elam