ABSTRACT
This conclusion re-asserts the pragmatic approach to the nature of art taken in these pages, classifying the word “art” as an active verb, an agent at the heart of history articulating the pulse of creative activity. The Elamite artistic output showcased in this book did not take place in a void: numerous forces were involved in shaping its exceptional diversity, longevity, and meanings. Amongst these were the dual highland-lowland geographical personality of Elam; the roles of religious ideology and the natural environment in engendering aesthetic and conceptual paradigms; and the active participation of non-elite and elite members of the society in the transmission, through vernacular and formal artistic channels, of customs and beliefs. Finally, this book ends with an afterword that queries how this extraordinary legacy will be preserved and appreciated by future generations. Since Elamite art has remained at the periphery of scholarly research and popular interest—not in small part due to archaeological malpractice, long-standing academic biases, and contemporary political events—awareness to its manifold contributions can only presage an optimistic future.
