Bani Surmah

This volume presents the final report of the excavations at the Bani Surmah graveyard in Pusht-i Kuh Luristan, Iran, by Ghent University and the Royal Museums of Art and History, Brussels. The Excavations, directed by Louis Vanden Berghe, were conducted in 1966 and 1967. Thirty-seven tombs made of stone boulders were excavated. Some were small and measured between two and four meters in length. Most, however, were much larger and measured ten meters or more in length. Most tombs were collective and were used by several generations. The burial goods cover almost the whole third millennium. Bani Surmah is located in the sub-region I of the Pusht-i Kuh, which is the closest to Mesopotamia. Many of the objects found in the tombs, such as common and painted pottery, seals and metalwork are of Mesopotamian origin. The close ties of this region with Mesopotamia raise some questions about the historical geography. Also the way of life and subsistence of past population groups in Pusht-i Kuh are considered. All the finds are illustrated in line drawings, the tombs and most objects also in photo.

The Archaeology of Iran from the Palaeolithic to the Archaemenid Empire is the first modern academic study to provide a synthetic, diachronic analysis of the archaeology and early history of all of Iran from the Palaeolithic period to the end of the Achaemenid Empire at 330 BC. Drawing on the authors’ deep experience and engagement in the world of Iranian archaeology, and in particular on Iran-based academic networks and collaborations, this book situates the archaeological evidence from Iran within a framework of issues and debates of relevance today. Such topics include human–environment interactions, climate change and societal fragility, the challenges of urban living, individual and social identity, gender roles and status, the development of technology and craft specialisation and the significance of early bureaucratic practices such as counting, writing and sealing within the context of evolving societal formations. Richly adorned with more than 500 illustrations, many of them in colour, and accompanied by a bibliography with more than 3000 entries, this book will be appreciated as a major research resource for anyone concerned to learn more about the role of ancient Iran in shaping the modern world.

This volume presents the final report of the excavations at the Bani Surmah graveyard in Pusht-i Kuh Luristan, Iran, by Ghent University and the Royal Museums of Art and History, Brussels. The Excavations, directed by Louis Vanden Berghe, were conducted in 1966 and 1967. Thirty-seven tombs made of stone boulders were excavated. Some were small and measured between two and four meters in length. Most, however, were much larger and measured ten meters or more in length. Most tombs were collective and were used by several generations. The burial goods cover almost the whole third millennium. Bani Surmah is located in the sub-region I of the Pusht-i Kuh, which is the closest to Mesopotamia. Many of the objects found in the tombs, such as common and painted pottery, seals and metalwork are of Mesopotamian origin. The close ties of this region with Mesopotamia raise some questions about the historical geography. Also the way of life and subsistence of past population groups in Pusht-i Kuh are considered. All the finds are illustrated in line drawings, the tombs and most objects also in photo.

This book examines the formation and transformation of Elam's many identities through both archaeological and written evidence. It brings to life one of the most important regions of ancient Western Asia, re-evaluates its significance, and places it in the context of the most recent archaeological and historical scholarship.

Potts examines the development of nomadism in Iran over the course of three millennia. Evidence of nomadism in prehistory is examined and found insufficient to justify claims of its great antiquity. The background of the earliest nomadic groups, identified as Persian tribes by Herodotus, is examined within the context of the migration of Iranian speakers onto the Iranian plateau in the late second or early first millennium B.C. Thereafter, evidence of nomadic groups in Late Antiquity and early Islamic times is reviewed.