Luristan bronze is a term referring to a set of ancient bronze artifacts of various individual forms which have been recovered from Luristan and Kermanshah areas in west-central Iran. They include a great number of weapons, ornaments, tools, and ceremonial objects. It is not certain whether they were created by the Cimmerians or the ancient Persians-Medes. Typical Luristan style objects belong to the (Iranian) Iron Age (c. 1300/1250-650 BC). The term "Luristan bronze" is not normally used to refer to earlier bronze artifacts from Luristan, datable to a period between the fourth millennium BCE and the (Iranian) Bronze Age (c. 3000/2900-1300/1250 BC), when bronze objects from Luristan were similar to those found in Mesopotamia and on the Iranian plateau. BRONZES OF LURISTAN, the accepted term for a distinct body of metalwork produced in the first half of the first millennium b.c. and characterized by a wide range of idiosyncratic forms and a highly stylized conception of human and animal representation. These bronzes are to be distinguished from material excavated in Luristan but belonging to earlier periods and from material incorrectly attributed to Luristan. Typical categories of canonical Luristan bronze artifacts in­clude cast animal finials, standards with masters of animals, horse cheekpieces, and harness attachments in the form of naturalistic or fantastic creatures, figured and disc pins, whetstone handles, and bracelets. Among the weapons are swords, daggers, axes, maces, quivers, and halberds. Both casting and repousse‚ techniques were employed. Among the highly stylized human and animal forms the zoomorphic juncture plays an important part, especially on pins, bracelets, and weapons.