Archaeology
Sadi Saeedyan
Abstract
The study of the history of the Median state is of high importance as Medes were the first group among Iranian people who formed a large kingdom in the western and central parts of the Iranian Plateau. About two centuries ago, our only source for the study of these people were narratives of classic authors ...
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The study of the history of the Median state is of high importance as Medes were the first group among Iranian people who formed a large kingdom in the western and central parts of the Iranian Plateau. About two centuries ago, our only source for the study of these people were narratives of classic authors and sporadic references of the Old Testament. From the 19th century onward, because of the deciphering of Mesopotamian and old Persian cuneiform inscriptions and the development of archaeological studies, our knowledge of the Median kingdom has remarkably increased. One of the first orientalists who did good research on the Median state and culture, using new sources and materials in his work, was George Rawlinson whose book has recently been translated into Persian. In the present paper, we review the book of “Media” written by Georg Rawlinson which has been published around 150 years ago. We show that although it was considered as leading research at the time of first publishing, its scientific value has decreased inevitably as a long time passed over its writing time. Despite this fact, publishing this book in Persian could be considered a positive step because the book is of high significance in reviewing the development of studies relating to Medes and Media.
Archaeology
Sa’di Saeedyan
Abstract
Despite the prominent place of ancient Iranian civilizations in the study of the history of the Ancient Near East, it has been overshadowed by an overwhelmingly hostile press that is embedded in the European tradition originated in Greco-Roman sources. In fact, there are few works and authors who have ...
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Despite the prominent place of ancient Iranian civilizations in the study of the history of the Ancient Near East, it has been overshadowed by an overwhelmingly hostile press that is embedded in the European tradition originated in Greco-Roman sources. In fact, there are few works and authors who have not been affected by this negative west-centric approach. Maria Brosius’s book “The Persians” is one of the latest works dealing with the socio-cultural achievements of three great kingdoms of Pre-Islamic Iran, i-e Achaemenids, Parthians, and Sassanians taking an unbiased approach and up-to-date sources. The present article deals with the advantages and disadvantages of this book and the form and content of it will be examined within the framework of an academic review. The result of the present study indicates that in spite of many advantages of the book such as modernity, unbiased approach, coherent structure, logical order, simple and fluid text, and good translation, it has its own weak points just like any other compilation. Among the most important disadvantages of work can be lack of some significant chapters like Elamite, Median and Seleucid empire and absence of any discernable summary or conclusion.
