Archaeology and Arts in Iran During the First Millennium B.C.

In the introduction to the book, the author refers to the transformations and changes of the Iranian plateau, and reminds us that the book has been prepared from archaeological point of view and that it deals with cultural aspects to the lesser extent, that the book is not concerned with the first millennium, and that it is rather a research about archaeology of the period.

The book consists of three chapters; the first chapter which is, in reality, an introduction to other chapters, discusses "the cultures of Iran during the period 1500 - 2000 B.C., and follows the material culture of Iranian plateau up to the end of the bronze period.

The second chapter is called "the cultural situation of Iran during the Iron Age", which investigates the material culture of Iranian plateau from the beginning of the Iron Age (1500 B.C.) up to the eight century B.C.

The third chapter entitled "An Analysis of Archeological Date of Iron Age" is related to the various manifestations of material culture of the residents of Iranian plateau within metallic objects and potteries of the Iron Age. In this chapter a glance is cast at the architecture of the Iron Age, the burial rites and the graves of the iron age of Iran (evidence from the intellectual culture). At the end of each chapter, a list of Persian and Latin sources is provided.

The book is written for students of B.Sc. course in the field of archaeology as a part in the lesson of "the archaeology of Iran during the first millennium B.C." and the title of the book refers to the first millennium B.C. But as it is necessary to investigate the cultural evolution of Iran, the book is also related to a part of the iron age (1500 - 800 B.C.), and even 35 pages (of the first chapter) are devoted to 1500 - 2000 B.C. period. This is an indication of the close relationship of the cultural evolution of the Iranian plateau from the closing centuries of the bronze age up to the first few centuries of the iron age. For a better comprehension of topics, several plans, tables and maps have been provided in the book.

Source: Archaeology and History Magazine, November 1996, No. 19