The Aryans

The Aryan tribes came to Iran from Central Asia sometime around 1000 BC. These newcomers spoke a language related to the European languages and were nomads and warriors with many horses and chariots. Soon they settled in the valleys of the Zagros Mountains in the western Iran. They called their new land Iran or "land of Aryans."

This bronze pin from 1000 BC shows the "master of animals," killing a monster with his two hands. Some believe that the pin represents Sraosha, an ancient Persian god of the afterlife whose symbol was the rooster.