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Library | Item Barcode | Call Number | Material Type | Item Category 1 | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... | 33000000016240 | DS282.7 P35 2013 f | Open Access Book | Book | Searching... |
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Summary
Summary
The palace complex of the Persian King Darius I, the Great (522-486 BCE), provides unique evidence of the sophistication of Achaemenid architecture and construction. This palace, built 2500 years ago in western Iran, lay at the centre of the Persian Empire that stretched from the Nile and the Aegean to the Indus Valley. First rediscovered in 1851, the palace of Darius was partly excavated over the next century. But it was only field research between 1969 and 1979 by the noted French archaeologist Jean Perrot which revealed the site's full dimension and complexity. Its bull-headed capitals, enamel friezes of richly-clad archers holding spears, figures of noble lions and winged monsters, introduced a new iconography into the ancient Persian world. The discovery and excavation of the palace, which this book records, thus casts a new light on the beginnings of the Achaemenid period. Edited by the distinguished scholar of ancient Persia, John Curtis, the lavishly illustrated volume is a work of seminal importance for the understanding of ancient Persia, likely to be radically altered by Perrot's research and findings.
Author Notes
A former Director of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Jean Perrot is an archaeologist and scholar who led the Delegation Archeologique Francaise en Iran (DAFI) which made many important Achaemenid discoveries in Iran between 1968 and 1979. John Curtis is Keeper of the Middle East Collections at the British Museum.
Reviews 1
Choice Review
Jean Perrot, director of the Franco-Iranian Archaeological Mission to Susa, edited this lavishly illustrated volume, which appeared soon after his death in 2012. With an introduction by John Curtis of the British Museum and contributions by a host of distinguished scholars, the book brings to life the ancient site of Susa, located in today's Iran. Primary focus is on the great Achaemenid palace built there by the Persian king Darius I (ruled 522-486 BCE). Chapters include essays on Susa and Elam; Darius, the Great King; the discoverers of the palace of Susa; the results of geophysical surveys and archaeological excavations; decorative and fired arts; and Achaemenid inscriptions. Between the chapters are various excurses on topics including the Cyrus Cylinder; the Persian antiquities concession; Susa in Paris; the broken statue of Darius; and Susa and the Bible. An appendix on the famous trilingual inscription at Bisitun, which helped Henry Rawlinson decipher Babylonian in the 1830s, ends the volume. The amount of detail and the sheer number of maps, illustrations, and color photographs ensures that Perrot's vision of bringing together the current state of knowledge on Susa during this period has been amply achieved. Summing Up: Highly recommended. General collections, graduate students, faculty. E. H. Cline George Washington University
Table of Contents
| 1 Acknowledgements |
| 2 Introduction |
| 3 Foreword |
| 4 List of Events in the Achaemenid Period |
| 5 Genealogical Table of the Achaemenid Dynasty |
| 6 Susa and Elam in the Achaemenid Empire |
| 7 Darius: The Great King |
| 8 The Discoverers of the Palace of Susa |
| 9 The Franco-Iranian Programme (1969-1979) |
| 10 The Geophysical Survey of the Achaemenid Foundations |
| 11 The Archaeological Data |
| 12 Restoration, reconstruction |
| 13 The Egyptian Statue of Darius |
| 14 The Main Achaemenid Inscriptions of Susa |
| 15 The Fired Arts |
| 16 Decorative Arts at Susa during the Persian Period |
| 17 Other Works of Darius and his Successors |
| 18 Susa and Iranian and Middle-Eastern Architecture |
| 19 Darius in his Time |
| 20 Appendix: The Inscriptions of Darius at Bisitun |
| 21 Abbreviations |
| 22 Bibliography |
| 23 Inserts |
