Archaeological Department

History of Archaeological Research of Pasargadae World Heritage Site

The history of archaeological researches in Pasargad region refers to Ernest Hertzfeld's first visited. In 1905, he began his survey about Pasargadae monuments that until then most of them were hidden under the soil in order to complete his doctoral thesis. From April to September 1928, for the first time, he Excavated in several parts of Pasargadae site, including Tall-e Takht, Sacred Precinct, Gate Palace and private palace, and introduced Cyrus tomb and the palaces. The results of his Excavation, with the exception of several short reports, never have been published. Only two or three articles have been written by himself and some images and drawing remained, which have been published by Stronach and Peter Calmer.

Ernest Hertzfeldt's relationship with Pasargadae was a major part of his life in middle age. In 1941, with the publication of the book "Iran in the Ancient East", he was still reviewing its findings. some published articles about Pasargadae is His most old works, which was immediately followed by cooperation studies with Friedrich Sare about individual monuments such as Stone Tower, winged Guardian Figure and Cyrus Tomb. In most cases, Hertzfeldt's work style is the first sample on the Iranian plateau and show his decisive and indefatigable character. Most often alone and without trained workers, with the help of the architect-engineer, Friedrich Krefter opened testing tranches in more than five main monuments.

The second person who had started archaeological research in Pasargad region was Aurel Stein. In June 1934, during a long and difficult journey in Fars, with his brother, Mohammad Ayoub Khan's help, they drow a map that for a long time was the most accurate map of the Pasargad region. He also identified several ancient sites, he had excavated in two prehistoric hills call in Persian "Dotalloon" and "Tele Se Ashes."
The next archaeological research is the aerial survey conducted by Schmidt. In 1935, during the excavation of Persepolis, Schmidt took aerial photographs of the Pasargad region, and in particular the Achaemenid monuments.
In 1949, RICHT decided to complete the Hertzfeld archaeological research and to fully identify the Pasargad monuments and prepare a general plan for the team headed by Ali Sami. In the year 1328, the Ministry of Culture associated little credit to begin the excavation of Pasargadae.
During his five years, he carried out activities such as clearing the area around the Cyrus tomb, identifying and mapping some of the structures of the Islamic period (Atabaki Mosque and Mozaffari Caravanserai) and adding the most important details to the map of Private Palace and Audience Palace. His exploration in Tall-e Takht revealed one of the two beautiful staircases of the platform and he excavated in two prehistoric areas (copper, stone or calcic), Tall-e Khari and Tall-e Nokhodi.
Unlike most of the Researchers before him, Sami not only considered the developments of the Achaemenid period and the works of this period but also studied the prehistoric and Islamic periods.
After Ali Sami, Ms. Kelergaf Mid began archeological research in the Pasargad Plain. In this regard, from November 10 to December 16, 1961, and November 10, 1962, for a month he continued excavation in Tall-e Nokhodi.
The most comprehensive archeological activity on Pasargad world heritage Site dates from 1961 to 1963 by David Stronach. In order to complete the previous studies, Stronach visited and researched in Pasargadae. He studied the results of previous surveys, in particular, Hertzfeld and Sami researches, he found deficiencies in study methods or the results of their studies, and for this reason, he excavated the site.
The French archaeologist, Remy Bucharlat has started archeo-geophysical studies in Pasargad in 1999, along with a cooperation project with the Cultural Heritage entitled "Central Fars in the Achaemenid Period." These surveys were done during the past four seasons from 1999 to 2003 by Iranian-French team and revealed new structures and buried in Pasargad world heritage site.
Alireza Shahpour Shahbazi founded the "Achaemenid Studies" in 1974 in Persepolis and began research on Achaemenids. As the head of Persepolis and Pasargad, he started studying around these two sites. Among his works in Pasargad, he published a book entitled "Comprehensive Guide to Pasargad".

ٍExcavation on Tang-e Boulaghi
The Iranian-Italian team, led by Dr. Alireza Askari Chawardi and Dr. Pier Francesco Caliri in sites 76 and 77 and Tall-e Takht from 1382 to 1387, excavate several seasons and succeeded in discovering and identifying a fraternal village in Tang-e Boulaghi. The team also excavated Tall-e Takht.
The Iranian-German team led by Ms. Mozhgan Sidin and Mrs. Barbara Hellwing had excavated archaeological sites 73,91,119 and 131. From the sites that had prehistoric settlements up to the historic period, pottery oven, figurines, various burials and prehistoric tools related to moshki and Jarry, Bakun a and b, Lapo, and etc Was obtained.
The Iranian-Polish team, led by Dr. Ahmad Ali Asadi, Dr. Reza Heidari, and Mrs. Barbara Kayma, excavated the site 64 of Tang-e Boulaghi and the sites of Sassanid and Achaemenid periods. Among the excavation in the Sassanid period, we can mention several Saroyi ponds used for the extraction of food (grape juice or wine). In addition, a castle-like monument was discovered from the Achaemenid period, with a geometric plan with a rocky pillar of one and a half to two meters in width.
The French team led by Mohammad Taqi Atayie and Dr. Remy Bucharlat excavated in sites 57,85,88 and 34 of Tang-e Boulaghi in the excavation of the Achaemenid and sites such as Dariush Pavilion (site 34) and the tomb graveyards of the Tang-e Boulaghi has been excavated.
An Iranian-American team led by Dr.Hassan Fazeli Nashmi and Mrs. Suzanne Pollak and Mr. Reinhard Bernanke started excavation in the ancient hill of Rahmat Abad in 2005. Rahmat Abad hill is located at the first of Tang-e Boulaghi and behind the Sivand dam. Excavation on this site indicates two stages of the establishment of a prehistoric and historical period. In the establishment of the historical period of the hill, a mudbrick platform structure was identified. The first chapter in the study of Rahmat Abad was very rich in terms of architectural data and tools and requires more excavation. The second and third chapters were led by Hossein Azizi Kharangi.
The Iranian - Japenis team, led by Dr. Mohsen Zaidi and Mr. Akira Soniki, simultaneously began the archaeological excavations of the two ancient caves 130 and BV.75. The first season of the field activities of the team was conducted from August to September 2005. The results of excavation we can mention to monuments of the transition period from the metamorphic to Neolithic.
The German- Iran team led by Mohammad Taqi Atayie and Ernest Parnitska simultaneously started the archaeological excavation of the three sites 82, BV.84 and BV.122. As a result of these excavations, it became clear that, except for the BV.122 site, there were two other industrial sites in the area, with the result that metal was extracted in these areas. Two sites belong to the Islamic period. site BV.84 belongs to the early Islamic period, site BV.82 belongs to the Safavid era, and cemetery site BV.122 belongs to the Sassanid era. Site BV.46 and BV.50 enclosures were also sites for the extraction of iron metal during the Islamic period.

Geophysics
The second chapter of the Project of the Iranian - France team in Pasargadae was dedicated to paleoclimatic studies, paleontology, archaeological land, and the study of hydrology and hydrology systems in Pasargad World Heritage Site and Murghab Plain. To identify the vegetation of the Pasargad ancient site during the Achaemenid period, experts have sampled several points from the royal garden and an array of pools in the east of the paradise garden that was revealed in magnetometric surveys. The study of canals, dams, gangways, and qhanats is one of the other activities of this season. The Iranian-French team, headed by Dr. Kourosh Mohammadkhani and Dr. Sebastien Gondat, has started its activities in the form of a cooperation between the Cultural Heritage organization and the University of Lyon 2 in France for five years from last year.

Archaeological surveys
Preliminary Report on Archeological Survey of Sarpinaran Village
Archaeological excavation on Tall-e Takht in 2006 and 2007
Archaeological excavation around the Private palace
Archaeological excavation on Mian Jadei Hill
Geomagnetism Survey on Pasargad
Excavation on Shahid Abad Achaemenid Dam
Excavation on Ghasrodasht Hill

  

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