The Mamasani District and the Archaeology of Southwestern Iran

Abstract

Southwestern Iran holds a pre-eminent position in Iran's archaeological heritage. The region that includes the lowland plains of Khuzestan and the adjacent Zagros highlands of Fars was the heartland of the Persian Empires ruled by the Sasanian and Achaemenid Dynasties (c.AD 205-638 and c.539-330 BC respectively). It was also the home of the various Elamite polities and states that engaged in warfare, political intrigue and trade with Babylonia and Assyria during the Bronze and Iron Ages (c.2200-641 BC) (see Figure 1.1). Archaeology in Iran can likewise trace its origins to the southwest, beginning in the late 19th century with the excavations at Susa that produced a series of spectacular archaeological discoveries and established a material 'footprint' for these historically-attested political entities that played a dramatic role in the history of the ancient Near East.