Vol. 26 (2023): Landscapes, Scriptures, Symbols and Architectures of Ancient Iran
Artículos

Observations on the environmental setting of the agricultural development and occupational history of Achaemenid Persepolis

Sébastien Gondet
CNRS Université Lyon 2 UMR 5133 Archéorient
Published November 6, 2024

Keywords:

Iran, Fars, Persepolis, Pulvar, palaeoenvironment, soils properties, hydrography, land-use, hydraulic facilities, farming
How to Cite
Gondet, S. (2024). Observations on the environmental setting of the agricultural development and occupational history of Achaemenid Persepolis. ISIMU, 26, 89–107. https://doi.org/10.15366/isimu2023.26.006

Abstract

This article deals with the environmental setting of Persepolis during the Achaemenid period (6th – 4th cent. BC). In addition to its symbolic and administrative functions as a central place, Persepolis was the result of a large-scale development project over at least a dozen square kilometres implemented in successive stages, which left large spaces for farming activities attested in the Fortification Archives. Following a review of the regional geographical setting, data focusing on the properties of soils and hydrography provide a more precise picture of the natural landscape of Persepolis. The hydraulic installations, known thanks to archaeological fieldwork, appear to be adapted to the properties of soils and suitable for developing intensive farming. Studies of hydrographic conditions show that the Pulvar river channel running through the region would have been less incised into its floodplain than in modern times, with consequences for the availability of water at Persepolis and its occupational history.

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