Estakhr Project - Third preliminary report of the joint Mission of the Iranian center for archaeological research, the Parsa-Pasargadae research foundation and the Sapienza University of Rome, Italy

This report presents the preliminary results of the study of the pottery collected during the excavation campaign carried out in 2012 in the framework of the joint Iranian-Italian Archaeological Mission in Estakhr. The ceramic finds relate to a time span ranging from the 9th to the 12th century, corresponding to the occupation phases identified within the stratigraphy. Moreover, the use of archaeometry made it possible to identify both imported and locally manufactured wares

Iran or Persia : what's in a name, the decline and fall of a tourism industry?

The future of tourism in Iran depends on the tenor of the government, whether it be Islamic traditionalist or Islamic liberalist. In Iran religion and politics are inescapably intertwined and inseparable, with the priority of religion over politics. This is highlighted in the changing emphasis of the UNESCO list where cultural heritage is being reshaped according to religious and political ideology. President Jimmy Carter, during a State dinner in Tehran in late December 1977, described Iran 'an island of stability in one of the more troubled areas of the world'; this serves as a salient warning to those tempted to make predictions about the future of Iran. Anti -Israeli rhetoric, holocaust denial, uncertain nuclear aims and ambitions, pollution, traffic, false imprisonment, hangings and stoning all serve to undermine the attractiveness of Iran as a destination

Who Are Herodotus\u27 Persians?

In analyzing how Herodotus\u27 descriptions of foreign societies reflect Greek assumptions and prejudices, we have sometimes failed to recognize the extent to which he reports persuasive and historically valid information. This is particularly true of the Persians for whom Herodotus appears to have had access to very good sources, especially perhaps among Medes and Persians living in Asia Minor. This paper argues that Herodotus\u27 representation of Persian character and customs and his understanding of the relationship between the king and his subjects is based on genuine native traditions that reflect an internal debate within Persian elites in the aftermath of their war against Greece

Art of the Achaemenid Empire and Art in the Achaemenid Empire

This chapter is an introduction to two of the major aspects of the study of Achaemenid Persian art, namely its definition, and the analysis of quotations of other artistic traditions. Achaemenid art is best defined as consisting of two categories of material. One is the art of the empire, i.e. art produced in furtherance of imperial goals. The other category consists of art in the empire, i.e. the artistic production of regions subject to Achaemenid rule. Though this art often took an outward form typical of its local context it was always produced in dialogue with the art of the empire. In both of these categories visual quotations of other, often earlier, artistic traditions figured prominently. These quotations resulted from choices made in the process of production either to achieve a specific effect or because they seemed appropriate to the object and its owner, and because these choices were made with the expectation of a successful outcome they can inform us about the social conditions in which they (both the decisions and objects) were made. Thus art provides a means of understanding how different individuals situated themselves within the broader the context of the empire. This is illustrated in three case studies of objects commissioned by three different individuals in which each utilized quotations of various artistic traditions as a means of constructing and negotiating their roles in the social order of the empire, and by parsing these quotations we can understand what those roles were

Renewal and perspectives in Iranian archaeology over the last two decades

In memory of Olivier Lecomte. From Tureng Tepe to Ulug Depe a 45-year friendshipThese few pages provide a very schematic overview of archaeological research in Iran since the end of the 20th century. The recent evolution is sharply marked with the port-revolutionary period with a new policy and the emergence of new generations of numerous and well-trained archaeologists. Most of them are employed in the provinces and work on rescue excavations, which are increasingly organised upstream as preventive excavations, but also on multi-year programs to provide information on less known archaeological periods. The western half of the country is much better known and more studied than the eastern half, but the recent field research launched in the south, along the Persian Gulf, and in the northeast (Khorasan) is very promisingCes quelques pages offrent un tableau très schématique de la recherche archéologique en Iran depuis la fin du 20e siècle. L’évolution est extrêmement marquée avec la période post-révolutionnaire avec l’émergence de nouvelles générations d’archéologues nombreux et bien formés. La plupart sont employés dans les provinces et travaillent sur des fouilles de sauvetage de plus en plus organisées en amont en fouilles préventives mais aussi sur des fouilles programmées pluriannuelles destinées à informer sur les périodes archéologiques moins bien connues. La moitié ouest du pays est mieux connue et plus étudiée que la moitié est, mais les recherches récentes impulsées dans le sud, le long du golfe Persique, et dans le nord-est (Khorasan) sont très prometteuse