Belt buckle

Sasanian

Not on view

This bronze buckle is decorated with concentric circles on its frame. Two small pierced tabs extend from the back of the frame. The prong of the buckle has a slightly raised piece toward its center.

The small town and fortress of Qasr-i Abu Nasr is located near Shiraz in southern Iran at a strategic point at the intersection of defensive mountains, available water sources, and along roads entering the Shiraz plain. The site was excavated by archaeologists from The Metropolitan Museum of Art for three seasons from 1932-1935. The town was occupied, at least intermittently, from the Parthian period (3rd century B.C.–3rd century A.D.) to the Muzaffarid period (13th-14th century A.D.). The major occupation, including the extensive fortress, dates to the Late Sasanian period (6th-7th century A.D.).

The eastern part of Qasr-i Abu Nasr is a raised plateau of a roughly triangular shape. During the Sasanian period the plateau was fortified by a wall and densely occupied. Archaeological finds from the fortress show a wide range of defensive and administrative practices.

Belt buckle, Bronze, Sasanian

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