Tribal Pastoralists in Transition: The Baharvand of Luristan, Iran

The location of Luristan in western Iran, showing the Zagros Mountains and principal cities.

Figure 0.1. Looking down over the Chin-i Zal Valley, with Morad Khan’s five black tents in the foreground. The Zal River flows through the gorge in the mountain ridge.

Figure 1.1. We were excavating at this rockshelter, Gar Arjeneh, in the Khorramabad Valley when we first met Sekandar.

Figure 2.1. Sekandar as a high school student in 1954.

Figure 3.1. Locations of the prominent subdivisions of the Lurs.

Figure 3.2. The territory of Bala Griveh, homeland of the Baharvand Lur tribe.

Figure 3.3. Luristan is composed of a series of anticlinal ridges, squeezed accordion-like by the Arabian continental plate sliding under the Eurasian plate. From Khuzistan to Khorramabad, the ridges and valleys ascend in height.

Figure 3.4 (opposite page). Seen by satellite, Bala Griveh is mostly mountainous, with only narrow valleys between the ridges.

Figure 5.1. The old city of Dezful is built alongside the Dez River. The Sasanian bridge and foundations of ancient mills jut into the river. People swim and wash their trucks and sheep and goats in the river.

Figure 5.2. Traditional houses with arches and interior courtyards have been cut to make way for new thoroughfares into the heart of the city.

Figure 5.4. A satellite image shows the layout of modern Dezful. The riverside houses have given way to new roads, and the old city center is surrounded by gridded housing developments (Google Earth Pro).

Figure 5.5. Mohammad Ali, our constant companion, wore typical men’s dress: a Western-style suit jacket, shirt unbuttoned at the neck, baggy Luri pants, a felted skullcap, and molded plastic shoes.

Figure 6.1. Morad Khan’s tent. He is at right, removing brush from the base of the walls, preparatory to taking down the tent and closing camp.

Figure 6.2. Morad Khan’s winter camp is sheltered by a small ridge on the north side. There are five black tents. The canvas tent, used by the schoolteacher and later by us, is on the left.

Figure 6.3. Winter camps are sheltered with stone walls that enclose the tents.

Figure 6.4. Sekandar (left) and Safarali finish packing a donkey for its trip to the highway, where its baggage will be loaded onto a truck. Kialon Kuh is in the background.

Figure 6.5. The remains of Dareh-Shahr, a Sasanian city that was conquered and destroyed during the Arab invasion of AD 641. Similar vaulted buildings are in Chin-i Zal and other valleys of Luristan.

Figure 6.6. Despite low rainfall, which makes rain-fed agriculture problematic, people in the ancient past—perhaps Sasanian times—cultivated crops on terraces, the remains of which are seen here as parallel horizontal lines on the talus of the distant mountain.

Figure 6.7. Mukhtar (left), son of Morad Khan, taught boys from nearby nomad camps. School was held in the white tent or in the open, depending on weather.

Figure 6.8. Little Iraj, nephew of Mohammad Ali and son of Hirdali and Sadigha, is watching his mother work.