Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran

<p>Iran's heritage is as varied as it is complex and the archaeological philological and linguistic scholarship of the region has not been the focus of a comprehensive study for many decades. <em>The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran</em> provides up-to-date authoritative essays on a wide range of topics extending from the earliest Paleolithic settlements in the Pleistocene era to the Arab conquest in the 7th century AD. The volume authored by specialists based both inside and outside of Iran is divided into sections covering prehistory the Chalcolithic the Bronze Age the Iron Age the Achaemenid period the Seleucid and Arsacid periods the Sasanian period and the Arab conquest. In addition more specialized chapters are included which treat numismatics religion languages political ideology calendrics the use of color textiles Sasanian silver and reliefs and political relations with Rome and Byzantium. No other single volume covers as much of Iran's archaeology and history with the same degree of authority. Drawing on the results of the latest fieldwork in Iran and studies by scholars from around the world this volume addresses a longstanding gap in the literature of the ancient Near East.</p>