IRANIAN 35
Archaeology of Ancient Iranian Empires
Description
Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. For around 1,200 years, three massive empires centered in Iran ruled over vast territories: Achaemenid Empire (550 to 330 BCE), Parthian Empire (247 BCE to 224 CE), and Sasanian Empire (224 to 651 CE). Often overlooked in studies of the ancient world, these empires were a critical force that shaped political and social life across Eurasia. Consideration of the figure of Cyrus the Great and the policies of his empire. Examination of how local communities in lands stretching from modern Turkey in the west to Afghanistan in the east lived under and alongside the sequence of empires. Consideration of how trade in precious metals and silks shaped Eurasian economies stretching from Rome to China under the Parthians. Examination of how the technologically complex cities of Sasanians grew into massive, multicultural, cosmopolitan hubs. Students learn how to examine and combine archaeological and textual evidence to develop a multi-dimensional picture of past societies. P/NP or letter grading.
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