TEHRAN - The University Museum of the University of Tokyo has unveiled a significant digital database featuring photographs from its 1965 archaeological expedition to Taq-e Bostan, a renowned Sasanian-era site in western Iran.

The collection offers an unprecedented glimpse into the monument's intricate rock reliefs, which depict royal coronations, divine imagery, and vibrant hunting scenes celebrated for their artistic and narrative richness.

The newly released database comprises nearly 1,500 high-resolution images, forming a complete visual record of the 1965 survey. These photographs are part of a broader archaeological initiative conducted during the 1965 and 1976 expeditions under the research project “Ancient Iranian Civilization as the Source of Ancient Civilization in East Asia and Japan.” The new digital archive builds upon the legacy of the University of Tokyo's four-volume series “Taq-i-Bustan” (1969–1984), which marked a major contribution to global art history and archaeology.

Taq-e Bostan monument, located near Kermanshah, stands as one of the most spectacular and best-preserved sites from the Sasanian era (224–651 CE). Its primary features include two majestic iwans (arch-shaped rock shelters) carved directly into a limestone cliff. The larger iwan contains magnificent reliefs depicting investiture ceremonies of Sasanian kings, while the site is particularly famed for its breathtakingly detailed panels of royal boar and deer hunts—vibrant masterpieces that showcase the sophistication and narrative power of late Sasanian art.

The newly released images serve as an invaluable historical record, capturing the site's condition from a period before more pronounced modern environmental changes. As the institution that has most systematically documented Taq-e Bostan, the University of Tokyo’s archive meets a long-standing need among researchers worldwide.

Complementing these historical efforts, the Taq-e Bostan Cultural Heritage Center has recently documented the entire complex through photogrammetry, producing a high-precision 3D model of the site. It is hoped that the images from this contemporary documentation will be published in a separate volume, offering another dimension of preservation and study.

The initiative is expected to greatly benefit academic fields ranging from Iranian and Sasanian studies to Silk Road archaeology.

AM