The Elamite empire was a powerful and long-lasting civilization that reigned in the Middle East from ca. 2700-540 BC. Elamite craftsmen developed great skill in bronze working, producing some of the finest tools and weaponry then available. These include a great number of ornaments, tools, weapons, horse-fittings, as well as a smaller number of vessels. They have been uncovered in recorded excavations, and have generally come from burials. The ethnicity of the people who created them remains unclear, though they may well have been related to the modern Lur people (who have given their name to the area).
