The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran
Journal Data
| Type | SOURCE_BOOK |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (GB) |
| ISBN-13 | 9780199733309 |
| Open Library | OL20374679W |
| Total publications | 23 |
| Coverage period | 2013 - 2017 |
| Language | EN |
| Cited by | 45 |
| h-index | 2 |
| i10-index | 1 |
"Iran's heritage is as varied as it is complex, and the archaeological, philological, and linguistic scholarship of the region has not been the focus of a comprehensive study for many decades. The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran provides up-to-date, authoritative essays on a wide range of topics extending from the earliest Paleolithic settlements in the Pleistocene era to the Arab conquest in the 7th century AD. The volume, authored by specialists based both inside and outside of Iran, is divided into sections covering prehistory, the Chalcolithic, the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, the Achaemenid period, the Seleucid and Arsacid periods, the Sasanian period, and the Arab conquest. In addition, more specialized chapters are included which treat numismatics, religion, languages, political ideology, calendrics, the use of color, textiles, Sasanian silver and reliefs, and political relations with Rome and Byzantium. No other single volume covers as much of Iran's archaeology and history with the same degree of authority. Drawing on the results of the latest fieldwork in Iran and studies by scholars from around the world, this volume addresses a longstanding gap in the literature of the ancient Near East"--Publisher's website.
Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran
Sasanian Textiles
Despite the vagaries of preservation, fragments of Sasanian textiles have survived at a number of sites on the periphery of the Sasanian Empire, particularly in western China, Central Asia, and the Caucasus. These display complex iconography better illustrated in many cases on Sasanian rock reliefs, particularly at Taq-e Bustan, and on silver vessels. This chapter discusses the weaving techniques used to produce Sasanian textiles, as well as thei…
Kuh-E Khwaja and the Religious Architecture of Sasanian Iran
Bronze Age Fars
Sasanian Administration and Sealing Practices
Luristan During the Iron Age
"Iran's heritage is as varied as it is complex, and the archaeological, philological, and linguistic scholarship of the region has not been the focus of a comprehensive study for many decades. The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran provides up-to-date, authoritative essays on a wide range of topics extending from the earliest Paleolithic settlements in the Pleistocene era to the Arab conquest in the 7th century AD. The volume, authored by specialist…
Luxury Silver Vessels of the Sasanian Period
Silver vessels represent one of the most important categories of Sasanian art that has survived from antiquity. This chapter presents a survey of the different types of extant vessels—bowls, cups, plates, rhyta, vases and ewers, and "wine-boats." The iconography of these vessels is described and the evidence of manufacture and craft organization is discussed. Techniques such as hammering, gilding, and niello are described and the significance of …
The Islamic Conquest of Sasanian Iran
"Iran's heritage is as varied as it is complex, and the archaeological, philological, and linguistic scholarship of the region has not been the focus of a comprehensive study for many decades. The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran provides up-to-date, authoritative essays on a wide range of topics extending from the earliest Paleolithic settlements in the Pleistocene era to the Arab conquest in the 7th century AD. The volume, authored by specialist…
Color and Gilding in Achaemenid Architecture and Sculpture
This chapter explores the use of color and gilding on Achaemenid sculpture and architectural relief. The analytical methods used to detect microscopic traces of pigment and to analyze the composition of ancient pigments are described, as is the terminology of color in Elamite and Old Persian. The history of scholarship on color on Achaemenid monuments is reviewed, revealing that many instances of preserved pigment have been observed during the pa…
Sasanian Political Ideology
"Iran's heritage is as varied as it is complex, and the archaeological, philological, and linguistic scholarship of the region has not been the focus of a comprehensive study for many decades. The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran provides up-to-date, authoritative essays on a wide range of topics extending from the earliest Paleolithic settlements in the Pleistocene era to the Arab conquest in the 7th century AD. The volume, authored by specialist…
Sasanian Coinage
This chapter presents a comprehensive survey of Sasanian coinage from its beginnings to the Islamic conquest. Particular attention is paid to the changing details of iconography and the individuality of the crowns worn by each monarch. Minting techniques, mints, mint signatures, and denominations are discussed. Both precious and base metal coinage is described. Portraits, diadems, astral symbols, rims, legends and the evolution of the fire altar …
Sasanian Rock Reliefs
"Iran's heritage is as varied as it is complex, and the archaeological, philological, and linguistic scholarship of the region has not been the focus of a comprehensive study for many decades. The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran provides up-to-date, authoritative essays on a wide range of topics extending from the earliest Paleolithic settlements in the Pleistocene era to the Arab conquest in the 7th century AD. The volume, authored by specialist…
Parthian and Elymaean Rock Reliefs
This chapter presents a survey of rock reliefs from the Arsacid period. The principle examples include Bisotun, Sar-e Pol-e Zohab, Tang-e Sarvak, Hung-e Azhdar, and Tang-e Butan. The reliefs are described, their iconography is discussed, and their chronology is outlined. Details of dress and weaponry are stressed. With a few exceptions, most of the reliefs are anepigraphic, and therefore attributing them to a particular ruler is problematic. Some…
Avesta and Zoroastrianism Under the Achaemenids and Early Sasanians
"Iran's heritage is as varied as it is complex, and the archaeological, philological, and linguistic scholarship of the region has not been the focus of a comprehensive study for many decades. The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran provides up-to-date, authoritative essays on a wide range of topics extending from the earliest Paleolithic settlements in the Pleistocene era to the Arab conquest in the 7th century AD. The volume, authored by specialist…
The Paleolithic of Iran
"Iran's heritage is as varied as it is complex, and the archaeological, philological, and linguistic scholarship of the region has not been the focus of a comprehensive study for many decades. The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran provides up-to-date, authoritative essays on a wide range of topics extending from the earliest Paleolithic settlements in the Pleistocene era to the Arab conquest in the 7th century AD. The volume, authored by specialist…
Luristan and the Central Zagros in the Bronze Age
Divided topographically into the Pish-e Kuh and Pusht-e Kuh, Luristan boasts a large number of Bronze Age settlements and cemeteries that have been investigated intermittently since the nineteenth century. Major excavations at Godin Tepe have helped to establish a ceramic chronology for the region, while typological variation characterizes the many valleys that are separated from each other by high mountain ranges. Links to the Mesopotamian lowla…
Khuzestan in the Bronze Age
"Iran's heritage is as varied as it is complex, and the archaeological, philological, and linguistic scholarship of the region has not been the focus of a comprehensive study for many decades. The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran provides up-to-date, authoritative essays on a wide range of topics extending from the earliest Paleolithic settlements in the Pleistocene era to the Arab conquest in the 7th century AD. The volume, authored by specialist…
Iranian Migration
This chapter is concerned with the origins of the earliest Iranian speakers who entered Iran and the chronology of their migration. A combination of linguistic, genetic, and archaeological evidence is adduced. Language affinities enable a reconstruction of the linguistic and cultural background of the earliest Iranians, as well as the routes by which they may have entered the region. Ties to archaeologically and linguistically attested groups to …
The Use of Greek in Pre-Sasanian Iran
Some eighty texts written in Greek and dating to the Achaemenid, Seleucid, Arsacid, and early Sasanian periods are known from Iran. The majority of these were found at Susa and at sites in Media, such as Karafto cave and Bisotun, reflecting the incorporation of these regions into the Seleucid and Arsacid Empires. The functions of these inscriptions are discussed, as well as the institutions that they reflect. The dating of inscriptions according …
Media, Khuzestan, and Fars Between the End of the Achaemenids and the Rise of the Sasanians
Following the demise of the Achaemenid Empire, much of western Iran, particularly Media, Khuzestan, and Fars, became part of the new Seleucid Empire. The evidence of Seleucid rule in the region is assessed, before the chapter turns to an examination of the local cultures that flourished there. The archaeological signature of Arsacid rule in the metropolis of Susa and the growth of semi-independent polities, like Elymais, are analyzed. The evidenc…
The Arsacids (Parthians)
"Iran's heritage is as varied as it is complex, and the archaeological, philological, and linguistic scholarship of the region has not been the focus of a comprehensive study for many decades. The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran provides up-to-date, authoritative essays on a wide range of topics extending from the earliest Paleolithic settlements in the Pleistocene era to the Arab conquest in the 7th century AD. The volume, authored by specialist…
The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran
"Iran's heritage is as varied as it is complex, and the archaeological, philological, and linguistic scholarship of the region has not been the focus of a comprehensive study for many decades. The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran provides up-to-date, authoritative essays on a wide range of topics extending from the earliest Paleolithic settlements in the Pleistocene era to the Arab conquest in the 7th century AD. The volume, authored by specialist…
The History of Archaeological Research in Iran
"Iran's heritage is as varied as it is complex, and the archaeological, philological, and linguistic scholarship of the region has not been the focus of a comprehensive study for many decades. The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran provides up-to-date, authoritative essays on a wide range of topics extending from the earliest Paleolithic settlements in the Pleistocene era to the Arab conquest in the 7th century AD. The volume, authored by specialist…
The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran
"Iran's heritage is as varied as it is complex, and the archaeological, philological, and linguistic scholarship of the region has not been the focus of a comprehensive study for many decades. The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran provides up-to-date, authoritative essays on a wide range of topics extending from the earliest Paleolithic settlements in the Pleistocene era to the Arab conquest in the 7th century AD. The volume, authored by specialist…
The Arsacids (Parthians)
"Iran's heritage is as varied as it is complex, and the archaeological, philological, and linguistic scholarship of the region has not been the focus of a comprehensive study for many decades. The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran provides up-to-date, authoritative essays on a wide range of topics extending from the earliest Paleolithic settlements in the Pleistocene era to the Arab conquest in the 7th century AD. The volume, authored by specialist…
Color and Gilding in Achaemenid Architecture and Sculpture
This chapter explores the use of color and gilding on Achaemenid sculpture and architectural relief. The analytical methods used to detect microscopic traces of pigment and to analyze the composition of ancient pigments are described, as is the terminology of color in Elamite and Old Persian. The history of scholarship on color on Achaemenid monuments is reviewed, revealing that many instances of preserved pigment have been observed during the pa…
The Paleolithic of Iran
"Iran's heritage is as varied as it is complex, and the archaeological, philological, and linguistic scholarship of the region has not been the focus of a comprehensive study for many decades. The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran provides up-to-date, authoritative essays on a wide range of topics extending from the earliest Paleolithic settlements in the Pleistocene era to the Arab conquest in the 7th century AD. The volume, authored by specialist…
Luristan and the Central Zagros in the Bronze Age
Divided topographically into the Pish-e Kuh and Pusht-e Kuh, Luristan boasts a large number of Bronze Age settlements and cemeteries that have been investigated intermittently since the nineteenth century. Major excavations at Godin Tepe have helped to establish a ceramic chronology for the region, while typological variation characterizes the many valleys that are separated from each other by high mountain ranges. Links to the Mesopotamian lowla…
Media, Khuzestan, and Fars Between the End of the Achaemenids and the Rise of the Sasanians
Following the demise of the Achaemenid Empire, much of western Iran, particularly Media, Khuzestan, and Fars, became part of the new Seleucid Empire. The evidence of Seleucid rule in the region is assessed, before the chapter turns to an examination of the local cultures that flourished there. The archaeological signature of Arsacid rule in the metropolis of Susa and the growth of semi-independent polities, like Elymais, are analyzed. The evidenc…
Luristan During the Iron Age
"Iran's heritage is as varied as it is complex, and the archaeological, philological, and linguistic scholarship of the region has not been the focus of a comprehensive study for many decades. The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran provides up-to-date, authoritative essays on a wide range of topics extending from the earliest Paleolithic settlements in the Pleistocene era to the Arab conquest in the 7th century AD. The volume, authored by specialist…
Sasanian Coinage
This chapter presents a comprehensive survey of Sasanian coinage from its beginnings to the Islamic conquest. Particular attention is paid to the changing details of iconography and the individuality of the crowns worn by each monarch. Minting techniques, mints, mint signatures, and denominations are discussed. Both precious and base metal coinage is described. Portraits, diadems, astral symbols, rims, legends and the evolution of the fire altar …
Sasanian Rock Reliefs
"Iran's heritage is as varied as it is complex, and the archaeological, philological, and linguistic scholarship of the region has not been the focus of a comprehensive study for many decades. The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran provides up-to-date, authoritative essays on a wide range of topics extending from the earliest Paleolithic settlements in the Pleistocene era to the Arab conquest in the 7th century AD. The volume, authored by specialist…
Parthian and Elymaean Rock Reliefs
This chapter presents a survey of rock reliefs from the Arsacid period. The principle examples include Bisotun, Sar-e Pol-e Zohab, Tang-e Sarvak, Hung-e Azhdar, and Tang-e Butan. The reliefs are described, their iconography is discussed, and their chronology is outlined. Details of dress and weaponry are stressed. With a few exceptions, most of the reliefs are anepigraphic, and therefore attributing them to a particular ruler is problematic. Some…
Avesta and Zoroastrianism Under the Achaemenids and Early Sasanians
"Iran's heritage is as varied as it is complex, and the archaeological, philological, and linguistic scholarship of the region has not been the focus of a comprehensive study for many decades. The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran provides up-to-date, authoritative essays on a wide range of topics extending from the earliest Paleolithic settlements in the Pleistocene era to the Arab conquest in the 7th century AD. The volume, authored by specialist…
The Use of Greek in Pre-Sasanian Iran
Some eighty texts written in Greek and dating to the Achaemenid, Seleucid, Arsacid, and early Sasanian periods are known from Iran. The majority of these were found at Susa and at sites in Media, such as Karafto cave and Bisotun, reflecting the incorporation of these regions into the Seleucid and Arsacid Empires. The functions of these inscriptions are discussed, as well as the institutions that they reflect. The dating of inscriptions according …
The History of Archaeological Research in Iran
"Iran's heritage is as varied as it is complex, and the archaeological, philological, and linguistic scholarship of the region has not been the focus of a comprehensive study for many decades. The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran provides up-to-date, authoritative essays on a wide range of topics extending from the earliest Paleolithic settlements in the Pleistocene era to the Arab conquest in the 7th century AD. The volume, authored by specialist…
Sasanian Textiles
Despite the vagaries of preservation, fragments of Sasanian textiles have survived at a number of sites on the periphery of the Sasanian Empire, particularly in western China, Central Asia, and the Caucasus. These display complex iconography better illustrated in many cases on Sasanian rock reliefs, particularly at Taq-e Bustan, and on silver vessels. This chapter discusses the weaving techniques used to produce Sasanian textiles, as well as thei…
Kuh-E Khwaja and the Religious Architecture of Sasanian Iran
Bronze Age Fars
Sasanian Administration and Sealing Practices
Luristan During the Iron Age
"Iran's heritage is as varied as it is complex, and the archaeological, philological, and linguistic scholarship of the region has not been the focus of a comprehensive study for many decades. The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran provides up-to-date, authoritative essays on a wide range of topics extending from the earliest Paleolithic settlements in the Pleistocene era to the Arab conquest in the 7th century AD. The volume, authored by specialist…
Luxury Silver Vessels of the Sasanian Period
Silver vessels represent one of the most important categories of Sasanian art that has survived from antiquity. This chapter presents a survey of the different types of extant vessels—bowls, cups, plates, rhyta, vases and ewers, and "wine-boats." The iconography of these vessels is described and the evidence of manufacture and craft organization is discussed. Techniques such as hammering, gilding, and niello are described and the significance of …
The Islamic Conquest of Sasanian Iran
"Iran's heritage is as varied as it is complex, and the archaeological, philological, and linguistic scholarship of the region has not been the focus of a comprehensive study for many decades. The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran provides up-to-date, authoritative essays on a wide range of topics extending from the earliest Paleolithic settlements in the Pleistocene era to the Arab conquest in the 7th century AD. The volume, authored by specialist…
Color and Gilding in Achaemenid Architecture and Sculpture
This chapter explores the use of color and gilding on Achaemenid sculpture and architectural relief. The analytical methods used to detect microscopic traces of pigment and to analyze the composition of ancient pigments are described, as is the terminology of color in Elamite and Old Persian. The history of scholarship on color on Achaemenid monuments is reviewed, revealing that many instances of preserved pigment have been observed during the pa…
Sasanian Political Ideology
"Iran's heritage is as varied as it is complex, and the archaeological, philological, and linguistic scholarship of the region has not been the focus of a comprehensive study for many decades. The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran provides up-to-date, authoritative essays on a wide range of topics extending from the earliest Paleolithic settlements in the Pleistocene era to the Arab conquest in the 7th century AD. The volume, authored by specialist…
Sasanian Coinage
This chapter presents a comprehensive survey of Sasanian coinage from its beginnings to the Islamic conquest. Particular attention is paid to the changing details of iconography and the individuality of the crowns worn by each monarch. Minting techniques, mints, mint signatures, and denominations are discussed. Both precious and base metal coinage is described. Portraits, diadems, astral symbols, rims, legends and the evolution of the fire altar …
Sasanian Rock Reliefs
"Iran's heritage is as varied as it is complex, and the archaeological, philological, and linguistic scholarship of the region has not been the focus of a comprehensive study for many decades. The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran provides up-to-date, authoritative essays on a wide range of topics extending from the earliest Paleolithic settlements in the Pleistocene era to the Arab conquest in the 7th century AD. The volume, authored by specialist…
Parthian and Elymaean Rock Reliefs
This chapter presents a survey of rock reliefs from the Arsacid period. The principle examples include Bisotun, Sar-e Pol-e Zohab, Tang-e Sarvak, Hung-e Azhdar, and Tang-e Butan. The reliefs are described, their iconography is discussed, and their chronology is outlined. Details of dress and weaponry are stressed. With a few exceptions, most of the reliefs are anepigraphic, and therefore attributing them to a particular ruler is problematic. Some…
Avesta and Zoroastrianism Under the Achaemenids and Early Sasanians
"Iran's heritage is as varied as it is complex, and the archaeological, philological, and linguistic scholarship of the region has not been the focus of a comprehensive study for many decades. The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran provides up-to-date, authoritative essays on a wide range of topics extending from the earliest Paleolithic settlements in the Pleistocene era to the Arab conquest in the 7th century AD. The volume, authored by specialist…
The Paleolithic of Iran
"Iran's heritage is as varied as it is complex, and the archaeological, philological, and linguistic scholarship of the region has not been the focus of a comprehensive study for many decades. The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran provides up-to-date, authoritative essays on a wide range of topics extending from the earliest Paleolithic settlements in the Pleistocene era to the Arab conquest in the 7th century AD. The volume, authored by specialist…
Luristan and the Central Zagros in the Bronze Age
Divided topographically into the Pish-e Kuh and Pusht-e Kuh, Luristan boasts a large number of Bronze Age settlements and cemeteries that have been investigated intermittently since the nineteenth century. Major excavations at Godin Tepe have helped to establish a ceramic chronology for the region, while typological variation characterizes the many valleys that are separated from each other by high mountain ranges. Links to the Mesopotamian lowla…
Khuzestan in the Bronze Age
"Iran's heritage is as varied as it is complex, and the archaeological, philological, and linguistic scholarship of the region has not been the focus of a comprehensive study for many decades. The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran provides up-to-date, authoritative essays on a wide range of topics extending from the earliest Paleolithic settlements in the Pleistocene era to the Arab conquest in the 7th century AD. The volume, authored by specialist…
Iranian Migration
This chapter is concerned with the origins of the earliest Iranian speakers who entered Iran and the chronology of their migration. A combination of linguistic, genetic, and archaeological evidence is adduced. Language affinities enable a reconstruction of the linguistic and cultural background of the earliest Iranians, as well as the routes by which they may have entered the region. Ties to archaeologically and linguistically attested groups to …
The Use of Greek in Pre-Sasanian Iran
Some eighty texts written in Greek and dating to the Achaemenid, Seleucid, Arsacid, and early Sasanian periods are known from Iran. The majority of these were found at Susa and at sites in Media, such as Karafto cave and Bisotun, reflecting the incorporation of these regions into the Seleucid and Arsacid Empires. The functions of these inscriptions are discussed, as well as the institutions that they reflect. The dating of inscriptions according …
Media, Khuzestan, and Fars Between the End of the Achaemenids and the Rise of the Sasanians
Following the demise of the Achaemenid Empire, much of western Iran, particularly Media, Khuzestan, and Fars, became part of the new Seleucid Empire. The evidence of Seleucid rule in the region is assessed, before the chapter turns to an examination of the local cultures that flourished there. The archaeological signature of Arsacid rule in the metropolis of Susa and the growth of semi-independent polities, like Elymais, are analyzed. The evidenc…
The Arsacids (Parthians)
"Iran's heritage is as varied as it is complex, and the archaeological, philological, and linguistic scholarship of the region has not been the focus of a comprehensive study for many decades. The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran provides up-to-date, authoritative essays on a wide range of topics extending from the earliest Paleolithic settlements in the Pleistocene era to the Arab conquest in the 7th century AD. The volume, authored by specialist…
The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran
"Iran's heritage is as varied as it is complex, and the archaeological, philological, and linguistic scholarship of the region has not been the focus of a comprehensive study for many decades. The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran provides up-to-date, authoritative essays on a wide range of topics extending from the earliest Paleolithic settlements in the Pleistocene era to the Arab conquest in the 7th century AD. The volume, authored by specialist…
The History of Archaeological Research in Iran
"Iran's heritage is as varied as it is complex, and the archaeological, philological, and linguistic scholarship of the region has not been the focus of a comprehensive study for many decades. The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran provides up-to-date, authoritative essays on a wide range of topics extending from the earliest Paleolithic settlements in the Pleistocene era to the Arab conquest in the 7th century AD. The volume, authored by specialist…
Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran