Volume IX ● Issue 1/2018 ● Online First

INTERDISCIPLINARIA ARCHAEOLOGICA NATURAL SCIENCES IN ARCHAEOLOGY

homepage: http://www.iansa.eu IX/1/2018

Book Reviews

Ancient & Its Neighbours: Local thirty-three international authors regarding earliest writing system in Iran” (p. 353, developments and long-range interactions all aspects of archaeological research and chap. 18) should be a really helpful study in the fourth millennium BC, 1th Edition, the history of the territory belonging to material for university students. Cameron A. Petrie, Oxbow Books 2013, ancient Iran during the fourth millennium But there is one contribution that ISBN 978-1-78297-227-3, 400 pages BC. Scholars, mostly from European, impressed me the most: Lloyd Weeks (hardcover). American, Iranian and other universities, (Department of Archeology, University of deal with fundamental topics, including the Nottingham, United Kingdom) has written environment, landscape, sites, technologies, a chapter with the title “Iranian metallurgy synthesis, etc. The publication by Oxbow of the fourth millennium BC in its wider Books (2013) was given the subtitle: “Local technological and cultural contexts” (p. developments and long-range interactions 277, chap. 15). In its introduction, this author in the fourth millennium BC” and edited shows the importance of the development by Cameron A. Petrie (Department of of the following metal metallurgy: copper, Archaeology and Anthropology at the lead, gold and silver. From a metallurgical University of Cambridge). The book came perspective this Iranian evidence is critical about under the patronage of The British for understanding and characterizing the Institute of Persian Studies, which is a development of early metallurgy. The self-governing charity bringing together most significant archaeological sites are distinguished scholars and others with an mentioned – Ghabristan, Tepe Hissar, interest in Iranian and Persian studies. Zagros, Tal-i Iblis, Arisman and many The layout of the volume is not others. The following pages talk about chronologically structured. After the the expansion of evidence from the fourth introduction (by the editor Cameron A. millennium, which witnesses the wide Petrie), the second and third chapters dispersion of metal processing. The majority provide an overview of the environment, of the found remains are connected almost ecology, landscape and subsistence in exclusively (as was mentioned above) with Iran (by Matthew Jones et al., Kristine lead, silver, gold and copper. The same Hopper and T.J. Wilkinson). The next ten chapter continues with a text passage on contributions explore sites and regions which I became really focused on, from of chosen archaeological research. There the moment I first opened this book – As an archaeological site of ancient history, are parts with really interesting chapters, mining. However, as I supposed, there is Iran belongs to the most significant, if including a wide spectrum of themes a very limited amount of evidence from not to the most important, regions in written by various authors. Further chapters, this research time period (4th millennium the . Incredible realms and numbered from fifteen to eighteen, discuss BC). This is due to the limited amount of empires arose, prospered, declined and the technologies of craft and administration field research regarding mining. The next disappeared, but their legacy survived and (by Lloyd Weeks, Holly Pittman, Roger section deals with the technological context new kingdoms could be created on their Matthews, Jacob Dahl et al.). The last two of metallurgy, technological transfer and its remains. The archeology of the studies present a synthesis and discussion mechanisms. points to the origin of world-changing (by Susan Pollock, Cameron A. Petrie). Another paper I have to mention is discoveries and cultures from a very exact There are many chapters to analyze titled “A bridge between worlds: south- location – Ancient Iran and its neighbours. and discuss in more detail. “The Late western Iran during the fourth millennium But the historical research of the area of Chalcolithic and Early in the BC” (p. 51, chap. 4) by Henry T. Wright ancient Iran concentrates on the legacy Qazvin and Tehran Plains” (p. 107, chap (Department of Anthropology, University of the Elamits, Medes or Achaemenids, 7), written by the Iranian authors Hasan of Michigan, USA). This particular study and the fourth millennium BC quite often Fazeli Nashli, Hamid Reza Valipour and belongs to that of “must read” for everyone remains on the edge of interest. However, Mohammed Hossein Azizi Kharanaghi, interested in the ancient history of Iran this reviewed book covers in detail those has a lot of visual utilities, tables, charts or any other field of research connected “critical periods of socio-economic and and other tools, which are of great help in with this topic. Wright describes how the political transformation.” this particular era. And the paper written locality of Susa (Shushan, Shush) affected Ancient Iran & Its Neighbours is a by Jacob Dahl, Cameron A. Petrie and D. the whole region, not just for present-day collection of twenty contributions from T. Potts “Chronological parameters of the Iran, but also for all its neighbours. Susa

Online First IANSA 2018 ● IX/1 ● Online First Book Reviews

is one of the oldest cities in the world. Holly Pittman (History of Art, University Ancient Iran & its Neighbours: Local Excavations have established the existence of Pennsylvania, USA) “Imagery in developments and long-range interactions of urban structures of about 4000 BC. Susa administrative context: Susiana and the in the fourth millennium BC is a collection used to be the centre of a highly-organized west in the fourth millennium BC” (p. 293, of valuable contributions and studies given province famous for their handicraft, which chap. 15). In this early age, the potters of together by scholars and researchers from is proven by its rich sites of ceramics, mostly Susa produced ceramics of an unsurpassed all over the world. In summary, Petrie’s jars, decorated by symbolic motives. The quality, decorated with many kinds of birds, book provides an excellent introduction to ceramics found in the Terminal Susa Plain mountain goats, and other designs displaying the process of the substantial and much- can be compared to the very well-known animals. The bow and arrow are the symbol researched part of prehistoric Iran and of the and beautifully-decorated ceramics from of sovereignty and government. The sun evidence that pertains to the growing social the Early Uruk era. The city became the – the heavenly deity, is the highest (there complexity in all its political, economic capital of Elam and was able to challenge is a very interesting thing for all scholars and religious dimensions. As a whole, this the Sumerian and Akkadian towns in studying cloisonné, where the sign for the book demonstrates a wide variability of southern . The thing I really miss in this sun is a star). There are many more symbols approaches. This is a truly impressive work study is the lack of information concerning of gods and divinities in Susiana mythology. of scholarship that will have a very long methods of decoration. In early Susiana symbolism, it is possible shelf life. The locality of Susa from the previous to find references to entities of the world of chapter is a great link to the paper from invisibility, not just the world of humanity. Slavomír Haberajter

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