pit and covered by two courses of mudbricks. The few items accompanying the dead have not yet been published.
An Achaemenid tomb was found at Susa, dating from the fifth or the middle of the fourth century. A brick vault protected a bronze sarcophagus. It had preserved the skeleton surrounded by rich grave goods, including gold and bronze jewelry, and semiprecious stones for torque, bracelet, necklaces, earrings, a silver bowl, and two alabastra (Frank 2013). As in Persepolis, it is hardly understandable that this royal residence, which was occupied throughout the Achaemenid period, has not left traces of other graves. Mazdaism, a religion which recommends the exposure of the bodies to prey birds, does not suffice to explain the absence of elite or mundane graves. There is no evidence that this religion or the Zoroastrian reform reached these areas, not even the royal family, whose members are apparently buried and probably mummified; moreover, it is certain that the other contemporaneous religions requested different burying customs.
Artifacts
The excavations or surveys of Achaemenid sites in southwest Iran were rather disappointing regarding the artifacts. The immense majority of the famous gold, silver, bronze vessels or jewelry kept in many museums in the world were not found in these royal or elite residences. Most of them come from the antiquities market or from chance discoveries (e.g. the Oxus Treasure). Very likely the Achaemenid residences were plundered during Alexander's conquest, and that is for sure at Persepolis.
Some stone vases were found in the Persepolis Treasury, together with pottery and metal objects, weapons, and tools (Schmidt 1957). At Pasargadae, an Achaemenid or post‐Achaemenid treasure was found by chance near the bridge (Stronach 1978: pp. 168–177), while the excavations yielded pottery, bronze, and iron objects. From Susa, there are mainly the objects inside the so‐called Princess grave, but a series of alabastra, often inscribed, has been found here and there on the site. A well has also provided a nice series of ivories carved in different regions of the empire, showing Persian, Syrian‐Phoenician, Egyptian, and Greek styles (Amiet 2013: pp. 331–356).
The paucity of diagnostic objects is one of the main difficulties in identifying Achaemenid settlements. It should be noted that coinage is unknown in these regions until Alexander's conquest. Apart from the few coins from the Apadana foundation boxes, no coins have ever been found in the palaces, residences, and settlements which would have provided some chronological clues. Recent excavations, such as the Mamasani project near Nurabad (Potts et al. 2009) or the rescue excavations near Pasargadae, offer good opportunities to establish a chronology of the artifacts of the Achaemenid and later periods. In this respect, the archeology of the Achaemenid period, long devoted to the elite sites, remains in its infancy. The new excavations and survey projects will certainly greatly improve our knowledge in the near future.
REFERENCES
1 Álvarez‐Mon, J. (2010). The Arjān Tomb, at the Crossroads of the Elamite and the Persian Empires, Acta Iranica 49. Leuven: Peeters.
2 Álvarez‐Mon, J., Garrison, M.B. (eds.) (2011). Elam and Persia. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns.
3 Amiet, P. (2013). Decorative arts at Susa during the Persian period. In J. Perrot (ed.), The Palace of Darius at Susa: The Great Royal Residence of Achaemenid Persia. London, New York: I.B. Tauris, pp. 331–346.
4 Askari Chaverdi, A., Callieri, P. & Matin, E. (2017). The Monumental Gate at Tol‐e Ajori, Persepolis (Fars): New Archaeological Data, Iranica Antiqua 52, pp. 205‐258.
5 Benech, C., Boucharlat, R., and Gondet, S. (2012). Organisation et aménagement de l’espace à Pasargades: reconnaissance archéologique de surface, 2002–2008. ARTA 2012.003, pp. 1–37.
6 Binder, C. (2010). Das Krönungszeremoniell der Achaimeniden. In B. Jacobs, R. Rollinger, (eds.), Der Achämenidenhof – The Achaemenid Court, Classica et Orientalia 2. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, pp. 473–497.
7 Boardman, J. (2000). Persia and the West: An Archaeological Investigation of the Genesis of Achaemenid Art. London: Thames & Hudson.
8 Boucharlat, R. (2001). Les galeries de captage dans la peninsule d’Oman au premier millénaire avant J.‐C.: questions sur leurs relations avec les galeries du plateau iranien. In P. Briant (ed.), Irrigation et drainage dans l’antiquité: Qanats et canalisations souterraines en Iran, Persika 2. Paris: Thotm Édition, pp. 157–183.
9 Boucharlat, R. (2011). Gardens and parks at Pasargadae: two “Paradises”? In R. Rollinger, B. Truschnegg, and R. Bichler (eds.), Herodot und das Persische Weltreich – Herodotus and the Persian Empire, Classica et Orientalia 3. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, pp. 457–474.
10 Boucharlat, R. (2013). Other works of Darius and his successors. In J. Perrot (ed.), The Palace of Darius at Susa: The Great Royal Residence of Achaemenid Persia. London, New York: I.B. Tauris, pp. 359–407.
11 Boucharlat, R. (2017). Ancient qanāt and falaj, polycentric and multi period innovations: Iran and the United Arab Emirates as case‐studies. In A.N. Angelakis, E. Chiotis, S. Eslamian, and H. Weingartner (eds.), Underground Aqueducts Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, pp. 279–301.
12 Boucharlat, R., Fazeli Nashli, H. (eds.) (2009). Tang‐i Bulaghi reports: Preface and Reports 1‐5. ARTA 2009.001‐2009.006.
13 Boucharlat, R., De Schacht, T., and Gondet, S. (2012). Surface reconnaissance in the Persepolis plain (2005–2008): new data on the city organisation and landscape management. In G.P. Basello, A.V. Rossi (eds.), Dariosh Studies II – Persepolis and Its Settlements: Territorial System and Ideology in the Achaemenid State. Napoli: Università degli Studi di Napoli “L’Orientale”, pp. 249–290.
14 Briant, P. (1984). La Perse avant l’Empire. Iranica Antiqua, 19, pp. 71–118.
15 Briant, P. (2002). From Cyrus to Alexander: A History of the Persian Empire. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns.
16 Briant, P. (2013). Susa and Elam in the Achaemenid empire. In J. Perrot (ed.), The Palace of Darius at Susa: The Great Royal Residence of Achaemenid Persia. London, New York: I.B. Tauris, pp. 3–25.
17 Frank, C. (2013). The acropolis tomb. In J. Perrot (ed.), The Palace of Darius at Susa: The Great Royal Residence of Achaemenid Persia. London, New York: I.B. Tauris, pp. 348–355.
18 Hallock, R.T. (1969). Persepolis Fortification Tablets, Oriental Institute Publications 92. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
19 Hansman, J. (1975). An Achaemenid stronghold. Acta Iranica, 3, pp. 289–312.
20 Henkelman, W.F.M. (2003). An Elamite memorial: the šumar of Cambyses and Hystaspes. In W. Henkelman, A. Kuhrt (eds.), A Persian Perspective: Essays in Memory of Heleen Sancisi‐Weerdenburg, Achaemenid History 13. Leiden: Nederlands Instituut voor het Nabije Oosten, pp. 101–172.
21 Henkelman, W.F.M. (2008). The Other Gods Who Are, Studies in Elamite Iranian Acculturation Based on the Persepolis Fortification Texts, Achaemenid History 14. Leiden: Nederlands Instituut voor het Nabije Oosten.
22 Huff, D. (2010). Überlegungen zu Funktion, Genese und Nachfolge des Apadana. In B. Jacobs, R. Rollinger (eds.), Der Achämenidenhof – The Achaemenid Court, Classica et Orientalia 2. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, pp. 311–374.
23 Jacobs, B. (1997). Eine Planänderung an den Apadāna‐Treppen und ihre Konsequenzen für die Datierung der Planungs‐ und Bebauungsphasen von Persepolis. Archäologische Mitteilungen aus Iran und Turan, 29, pp. 281–302.
24 Koch, H. (1990). Verwaltung und Wirtschaft im persischen Kernland zur Zeit der Achämeniden, Beihefte zum Tübinger Atlas des Vorderen Orients, Reihe B, Nr. 89. Wiesbaden: Dr. Ludwig Reichert.
25 Krefter, F. (1971). Persepolis Rekonstruktionen: Der Wiederaufbau des Frauenpalastes: Rekonstruktion des Paläste – Modell von Persepolis. Berlin: Gebr. Mann Verlag.
26 Ladiray, D. (2013). The archaeological results. In J. Perrot (ed.), The Palace of Darius at Susa: The Great Royal Residence of Achaemenid Persia. London, New York: I.B. Tauris,