ABSTRACT
In treating the religion and ritual of "the Elamite world", one must bear in mind that Elam evolved throughout its three thousand or so years of existence under numerous rulers and dynasties who inhabited a common territory combining highland and lowland geographical environments. The knowledge of early Elamite temples is derived from 3rd millennium cylinder seals on which they are represented as monumental rectangular buildings set on a terrace foundation with facades marked by recesses and false niches. Invocations to the gods are well known through three different categories of evidence: royal inscriptions, legal documentation and curses. The Elamite open-air sanctuaries discovered close to water courses at Kurangun, Kul-e Farah and Shekaft-e Salman in the Zagros valleys of southwest Iran, all incorporate rock-carved reliefs of religious significance enhancing the numinous dimensions of their natural landscape. Most informative on the characteristics of religious rituals are the royal inscriptions dating to the Middle Elamite period.
