Iranica Antiqua, vol. XLVII, 2012 doi: 10.2143/IA.47.0.2141963

THE LOCATION OF THE PARTHIAN CITY OF BAGISTANA IN , : A PROPOSAL

BY Sajjad ALIBAIGI1, Kamal-Aldin NIKNAMI2 & Shokouh KHOSRAVI3 (1 Islamic Azad University, Hamadan Branch, Hamadan; 2 University of Tehran, Tehran & 3 University of Tarbiat Modares,Tehran) Presented to Mehdi Rahbar

Abstract: Iranian, Chinese, and western literature provides valuable source material about the prevalent situation of in the Parthian era. Many accounts of political and historical events are written with partiality, but compared with these texts, geographical literature is more reliable. One significant and val- uable source for this period is “Parthian Stations” by Isidore of Charax, written early in the first century AD. In this book, Isidore mentions numerous cities, vil- lages, and habitations that he saw during a long journey to the eastern parts of the Parthian territory, and has contributed much to our limited knowledge of Parthian geography. While describing Parthian habitations in the land of , he men- tions the city of Bagistana and reports its topographical location. Considering the archaeological and historical evidence, a recently investigated Parthian site in Bisotun appears to be the most appropriate site to identify with this city. In this paper we review the historical evidence and evaluate the archaeological findings.

Keywords: Historical geography, Parthian era, Isidore of Charax, Bagistana city, Parthian site of Bisotun.

Introduction Although vast quantities of written sources have remained from the Par- thian period, geographical works are the least frequent among them. The latter are mostly works of classical historians and geographers written in Greek, Roman, Syriac, Armenian, Chinese and Arabic. The records of geog- raphers and some historians of this era provide significant information on the geographical status of places, roads, cities, villages and habitations on roads. The “Parthian Stations” by Isidore of Charax is an important and valuable work of the Parthian era. Isidore travelled early in the first century AD to the eastern parts of the Parthian territory and wrote a detailed report of his jour- ney. This report indicates the importance of the roads, of trade and of the attention paid to the geographical situation during the Parthian period. Isidore wrote this work as an economic-political geography for those passengers and caravans who tended to pass this way. In particular, Isidore mentions some

94839_Iran_Antiq_47-2012_05.indd 117 12/04/12 08:36 118 SAJJAD ALIBAIGI - KAMAL-ALDIN NIKNAMI - SHOKOUH KHOSRAVI

of the stations, cities and villages he visited in the course of his journey of 858 schoeni (about 2145 km). The report we know as “Parthian Stations” of Isidore of Charax must be an extract from an official Parthian survey. Dating from the reign of the Roman Emperor Augustus, it gives us an idea of the extent of the and it is one of our most valuable sources (Wid- engren 1983: 1264). “Parthian Stations” mentions 18 satrapies through which the Royal Road passed (Lukonin 1983: 726). Isidore has carefully mentioned the names of cities and villages, monu- ments and temples, and some of their specific characteristics. Hence, we can obtain a great deal of information about the different areas mentioned in this very important book. In the present day, however, it is difficult to locate some of the places named due to our limited knowledge and lack of other sources. Identifications have been proposed for some Parthian sites, such as Cambadene (Jackson 1906: 230), Hekatompylos (Hansman & Stronach 1974; Hansman 1981), Phanaspa (Kleiss 1973) and Ekbatana (de Planhol 2003), but the available information is too scant and often it is not possible or easy to identify a site with full certainty. The main purpose of this article is to locate the ancient city of Bagistana mentioned in the “Parthian Stations”. Although there have been suggestions about the location of some ancient stations and cities based on this source, such as Cambadene (Jackson 1906: 230; Golzari & Jalili n.d.: 67), Conco- bar (Kambakhsh Fard 2007: 102; Calmeyer 1996: 13), Ekbatana (de Plan- hol 2003) and Bazigraban (Mehryar & Kabiri 2004: 262; Kabiri 1995) in

Fig. 1. Location of Bisotun on the Royal Road (after Hinz 1979: 9, Abb. 1).

94839_Iran_Antiq_47-2012_05.indd 118 12/04/12 08:36 THE LOCATION OF THE PARTHIAN CITY OF BAGISTANA IN BISOTUN 119

western Iran, there had been no research conducted on the location of Bag- istana, so far. Many researchers, such as Olivier (1807), Rawlinson (1839), Müller (1855), Schoff (1914), Herzfeld (1920; 1968), Dandamaev (1976), Hinz (1979), Koch (1992) and Luschey (1996), identify Bagistana with pre- sent Bisotun, but they do not cite archaeological evidence for the proposition and furthermore they do not suggest any particular location for this city.

Bagistana compared with the description by Isidore of Charax In “Parthian Stations”, Isidore wrote: 4. From that place, [Lower] Media, which extends 22 schoeni. The begin- ning is at the district of Carina, in which there are five villages in which there are stations, but no city. 5. From that place, Cambadene, which extends 31 schoeni, in which there are five villages, in which there are stations, and a city, Bagistana, situ- ated on a mountain, there is a statue and a pillar of Semiramis. 6. From that place, upper Media, 38 schoeni, and at 3 schoeni from the very beginning of it is the city of Concobar; there is a temple of Artemis, 3 schoeni. Then Bazigraban, which is a customs house, 3 schoeni … (Schoff 1914: 7).

Now, based on Isidore’s text, we are going to present some evidence for the possible location of this city. As it is shown on road maps and is obvious from the text of “Parthian Stations”, the city of Bagistana (Baptana) is located between Cambadene (present Kermanshah) and Concobar (present ). Regarding the reliable propositions presented on the location of Cambadene in the west and Concobar in the east, it is clearly perceived that this city must be between these two places. These characteristics conform to the present day region of Bisotun, as has been proposed byabove mentioned scholars. Bisotun is a vast plain to the east of Kermanshah, along the well-known main road from Ekbatana to , the Royal Road (or the Silk Road). The main problem of this research is to identify which ancient site in the region of Bisotun and the region east of Kermanshah generally is the Par- thian city of Bagistana.

Discussion There are some points necessary to observe in Isidore’s short text. First, he has clearly mentioned the situation of Bagistana on a mountain. The other point is the statue of the Assyrian queen Semiramis near the city.

94839_Iran_Antiq_47-2012_05.indd 119 12/04/12 08:36 120 SAJJAD ALIBAIGI - KAMAL-ALDIN NIKNAMI - SHOKOUH KHOSRAVI

Based on studying the historical settlements of this region, the question arose whether the Parthian city of Bagistana conforms to present Bisotun and therefore we attempted to find a logical answer to this question as follows: 1. The remains of this city must be near Bisotun cliff on the mountain side. 2. This site must have an appropriate size for a city relative to what was mentioned in the sources about it. 3. Archaeological findings must prove its attribution to the Parthian era. 4. The site (city) must be located along the main way, as it was cited in Isidore’s book about his journey on the Royal Road. Now, we continue our discussion by observing the archaeological evi- dence and works of historians prior to Isidore. Archaeological findings and studies in the Bisotun area prove the existence of 79 ancient sites with remains of historical times and particularly the Parthian era (Motarjem A. & Mohammadifar Y. 2003: unpubl. ICHHO-Kermanshah report on Biso- tun; Mohammadifar Y. 2005a: unpubl. ICHHO-Kermanshah report on ; Chehri M. 2008: unpubl. ICHHO-Kermanshah report on Harsin; Khanmoradi M. 2009: unpubl. ICHO-Bisotun report). Therefore it is not too difficult to distinguish which of the Parthian ancient sites in Bisotun region could be the possible location of the Parthian city of Bagistana. First of all, this city must be located on the mountainside and must have the minimum characteristics of a city as Isidore mentioned. Of the studies published on the region (Motarjem A. & Mohammadifar Y. 2003: unpubl. ICHHO-Kermanshah report on Bisotun; Mohammadifar Y. 2005a: unpubl. ICHHO-Kermanshah report on Harsin; Chehri M. 2008: unpubl. ICHHO- Kermanshah report on Harsin; Khanmoradi M. 2009: unpubl. ICHO-Biso- tun report), there has been no historical site with an extent of more than 221 ≈ 153 m (4 hectares), except for one site. The variation of extents can be an important factor along with a location on a mountainside. Impor- tantly historians such as (Hinz 1979: 10) and Diodorus of Siculus (Diodore de Sicile II,13; Pirnia 1995: 1568-69) had mentioned the statue of Semiramis prior to Isidore. Exactly the same as Ctesias and Diodorus, Isidore also has assumed the relief carving of is an image of Semiramis. Therefore the city, which was visited by Isidore, must be located on the slope of the mountain near the relief of Darius the Great, which he presumed to be Semiramis. The other important point is that this historical site was possibly located near the ancient Silk Road (the Road of Great Khorasan), on which Isidore travelled during his journey.

94839_Iran_Antiq_47-2012_05.indd 120 12/04/12 08:36 THE LOCATION OF THE PARTHIAN CITY OF BAGISTANA IN BISOTUN 121

The Parthian site of Bisotun Investigations indicate the existence of a settlement covering a vast area from the Parthian era in the Bisotun plain, near the famous relief of Darius the Great. During the first archaeological excavation carried out by one of the authors (Alibaigi, S. 2010: unpubl. ICHHO-Tehran report) on the Par- thian site of Bisotun in June 2009, the remains of a site were studied and examined which seem to be attributable to Isidore’s Bagistana (Baptana). The area known as the “Parthian slope of Bisotun” lies on a slope between the present city of Bisotun and the relief and inscription of the Achaemenid Emperor Darius the Great, on the western edge of the Bisotun plain (Cham- Chamal) (Pl. 1). This site is located at 47°26’0” E longitude and 34°23’17” latitude with an elevation of 1420 m, to the west of the present city of Bisotun, to the north of the Bisotun mountain and with the Gamasiab River in the east. The site has a near north–south alignment, and is more than 1000 m long and 400–500 m wide, occupying an area of about 45–50 hectares. This site was first examined by Wolfram Kleiss in 1964 (Kleiss 1970; 1996). Almost 30 years later, in 1999 and then in 2000, it was again exam- ined and sounded by Sh. Kermajani and A. Motarjem (Kermajani Sh. 1999: unpubl. ICHHO-Kermanshah report on Bisotun; Motarjem A. 2000: unpubl. ICHHO-Kermanshah report on Bisotun). The southern parts of the site were excavated in 2001 (Malekzadeh M. 2001: unpubl. ICHHO-Ker- manshah report). In 2003 the site was once more examined by Y. Moham- madifar and A. Motarjem (Mohammadifar Y. & Motarjem A. 2003: unpubl. ICHHO-Kermanshah report on Harsin; Mohammadifar Y. 2005a: unpubl. ICHHO-Kermanshah report on Harsin; Mohammadifar Y. 2005b: unpubl. PhD-thesis at Tarbiat Modares Univ., Tehran). These excavations and soundings all resulted in finding large quantities of material in situ dating back to the Parthian era. In all these researches, the architectural remains were far beyond those expected of construction in a rural settlement. In 2009, the site was examined again in order to specify its extent (Ali- baigi S. 2010: unpubl. ICAR-Tehran report on Bisotun) and valuable finds were discovered from the Parthian settlement. The finds include a great many Parthian potsherds, architectural remains, decorative beads, animal figurines, stamp seals, coins and jar burials (Pl. 2-5). Considering the archae- ological remains and the evidence obtained, we can be certain of the pres- ence of a large Parthian settlement there. Regarding the point that Bisotun’s Parthian site holds all the characteristics listed above, it is assumed that it is probably the remains of the Parthian city of Bagistana mentioned by Isidore.

94839_Iran_Antiq_47-2012_05.indd 121 12/04/12 08:36 122 SAJJAD ALIBAIGI - KAMAL-ALDIN NIKNAMI - SHOKOUH KHOSRAVI

Conclusion

As discussed above, Isidore mentions a Parthian city named Bagistana between Cambadene (present Kermanshah) and Concobar (present Kanga- var). According to him, this city is on a mountain side and there is a statue of Semiramis near the city. Archaeological evidence proves the Parthian site we have recently investigated as the best option to conform to this ancient place name, since this site was the largest site of the Parthian era at Bisotun and is located on the slopes of Bisotun mountain near a relief which some other geographers identified as Semiramis (in fact, the Achaemenid Darius the Great). Besides, other important evidence such as a statue of Heracles, a Parthian temple, and reliefs of Mithradates II, Gotarzes III and Vologases IV (?), all indicate the importance of this site in the Parthian period (Pl. 6–7). Another point is the passage of the Silk Road across the Bisotun plain not far from the site. Based on archaeological evidence and the opinion of many historians, geographers and researchers, this road has passed by the slope of Bisotun’s tall cliff since ancient times (Estakhri 1986: 211; Hamavi 2001: 662; Ebn Hawqal 1966: 115; Ebn Rosteh 1977: 195; Hinz 1979: 10; Luschey 1996: 12; Cool Root 1979: 184-185; Briant 1996: 136; Koch 1992: 13; Mohammadifar 2005b: 374-375; unpublish. PhD thesis at Tarbiat Modares University). Therefore, considering that all the places which Isidore mentioned are located on this main road, we can con- clude that this site is probably the same Bagistana (Baptana) through which Isidore passed. The existence of different reliefs and inscriptions from the Achaemenid era to the Safavid period, of Ilkhanid and Safavid caravanserais, and various indications of historians, geographers, orientalists and travellers all point to the importance of the road and the region. All this evidence indicates that this important road was in use during the historical and Islamic periods. It is also worth mentioning that it seems the word Bagistana (Baptana) is the transformed version of Bagistania or Bagistanah, which was recorded as Bagistana in the text of “Parthian Stations” (Müller 1855) (although Schoff 1914: 28 believes the text is not readable). Similarly Ekbatana is written in the “Parthian Stations” as “Batani” (Schoff 1914: 28). Hence, from considering the historical documents and the archaeologi- cal evidence, we can say that the Parthian site of Bisotun is most probably the remains of the same city which Isidore mentioned in the first century AD. If our understanding of historical documents and preliminary analysis

94839_Iran_Antiq_47-2012_05.indd 122 12/04/12 08:36 THE LOCATION OF THE PARTHIAN CITY OF BAGISTANA IN BISOTUN 123

of the archaeological evidence is correct, the Parthian site of Bisotun is one of the cities or habitations along the west–east road of the Parthian Empire, along with Concobar, Bazigraban, and Ekbatana. Based on the reliability of the historical sources and the importance of Bisotun’s Parthian site on the main road in the Parthian era, we can conclude that this site is a significant site in the Bisotun area and in the west of Iran. Based on this evidence, we can obtain vast knowledge about Parthian settle- ment in this area through problem oriented studies and extensive research.

References:

BRIANT, P., 1996. Histoire de l’empire perse, De Cyrus à Alexandre, Paris, Librairie Artheme, Fayard. COOL ROOT, M., 1979. The king and kingship in Achaemenid art, Acta Iranica 19, Leiden. DANDAMAYEV, M., 1977. Persien under den ersten Achaemeniden (6. Jahrhundert v.Chr.), (Übersetzt von Heinz- Dieter Pohl), Wiesbaden 1976, Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag. DIODORE.D.S.,1851. Bibliothèque Historique, Ferd Hoefer (ed.), Paris. DE PLANHOL, X., 2003. Hamadan. Historical Geography, in: Yarshater E. (ed.), Ency- clopedia Iranica, Vol. XI, Mazda Publisher, Costa Mesa, California: 605-608 EBN HAWQAL, ABI AL-QASEM BIN HOOGHAL AL-NASIBI n.d. Soratol Arz, Beirut: Daar Maktabat alhayat. EBN ROSTEH, AHMAD BIN OMAR, 1356/1977. Alalagh Alnafiseh, Tr. & ed. H. Gharachanlou, Tehran: Amirkabir. ESTAKHRI, ABO ESHAGH EBRAHIM, 1994. Mamalek va Masalek, Translated by: Mohammad ebne Asad ebne Abdolah Tastari, Iraj Afshar (ed.), Tehran: Bon- yad Maoghofat Dr. Mahmood Afshar Yazdi, No. 52. GOLZARI, M. & M. JALILI, n.d. Kermanshahan bastan. Tehran, Chapkhane-e Vezarat Farhang va Honar. HAMAVI ALROMI-OL ALBAGHDADI, SHAB-ALDIN ABI ABDOLLAH YAGHOOT BEN ABDOL- LAH, 1965. Ketab-e Mojam alboldan, Vol. 1, Tehran: Asadi. HANSMAN, J., 1981. The measure of Hecatompylos, Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, No. 1: 3-9. HANSMAN, J. & STRONACH, D., 1974. Excavation at Shahr-i Qumis,1971, Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, No. 1: 8-22. HERZFELD, E., 1968. The Persian Empire. Studies in geography and ethnography of the ancient Near East, Wiesbaden. —, 1920. Am Tor von Asien, Berlin. HINZ, W., 1979. Darius und die Perser, Eine Kulturgeschichte der Achaemeniden. Holle Verlag. Baden. JACKSON, w., 1906. Persia: Past and Present. New York, The Macmillan Com- pany London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd.

94839_Iran_Antiq_47-2012_05.indd 123 12/04/12 08:36 124 SAJJAD ALIBAIGI - KAMAL-ALDIN NIKNAMI - SHOKOUH KHOSRAVI

KABIRI, A., 1995. Now yaftehay bastanshenasi dar banaey tarikhi Mabad Anahi- tae-y Kangavar, in: Bagher Ayat-olahzade Shirazi (ed.), Bam-Kerman Con- gress, Tehran: ICHO, Vol. 2: 663-684. CALMEYER, P., 1996. Die Landschaft Kambadene, in: Kleiss W. & Calmeyer P. (eds.), Bisutun: Ausgrabungen und Forschungen in den Jahren 1963-1967, Teheraner Forschungen VII, Gebr. Mann Verlag. Berlin: 13-14. KAMBAKHSH FARD, S., 2007. Kavooshha va Pazhoheshhay Bastan shenasi va ehya Memari Mabad-e Anahitay-e Kangavar va Taq-e Gara, Vol. 1, Yadmanha va Bavarhay Asatiri Faramosh Shode, Tehran: ICHHO. KLEISS, W., 1970. Zur Topographie des Partherhanges in Bisutun, Archaeologi- sche Mitteilungen aus Iran, Band 3: 133-68. —, 1973. Qaleh Zohak in Azarbaidjan, Archaeologische Mitteilungen aus Iran, Band 6: 163-88. —, 1996. Der sogenannte Partherhang, in: Kleiss W. & Calmeyer P. (eds.), Bisu- tun: Ausgrabungen und Forschungen in den Jahren 1963-1967, Teheraner Forschungen VII, Gebr. Mann Verlag, Berlin: 73-84. KOCH, H., 1992. Es kündet Dareios der König…., Verlag Philipp von Zabern, Mainz/Rhein. LUSCHEY, H., 1996. Die geographische Lage, in: Kleiss W. & Calmeyer P. (eds.), Bisutun: Ausgrabungen und Forschungen in den Jahren 1963-1967, Tehe- raner Forschungen VII, Gebr. Mann Verlag. Berlin: 12. LUKONIN, V.G., 1983. Political, social and administrative institutions: Texts and Trade, in: Yarshater E. (ed.), The Cambridge History of Iran, Vol 3(2), The Seleucid, Parthian and Sasanian periods, part 19, Cambridge University Press: 681-746. MARQUART, J., 1905. Untersuchungen zur Geschichte von Eran II, Leipzig, 1905. MEHRYAR, M. & KABIRI, A., 2004. Edameh Kankashha dar Mabad Anahita Kan- gavar, Karname Kavoosh, Pazhohesh, Samandehi va Maramat chaharomin Goroh Bastanshenasi az 1367 ta 1380, Tehran: ICHO. MÜLLER, C.,1855. Geography Graeci Minores, Paris. OLIVIER, G., 1807. Voyage dans l’Egypte, Vol. V, Paris. PIRNIA, H., 1995. Iran-e Bastan,Vol. 2, Tehran: Donyaey Ketab. 7 th. ed. RAWLINSON, H., 1839. Notes on a march from Zohab, at the foot of Zagros, along the mountains to Khuzistan (Susiana), and from thence through the province of Luristan to Kirmanshah, in the year 1836, Journal of the Royal Geographical Society of London, Vol. 9: 26-116. SCHMIDT, E., 1940. Flights over ancient Iran. Chicago: University Chicago Press. SCHOFF, W., 1914. Parthian Stations, by Isidore of Charax, An Account of the overland Trade route between the and in the first Century B.C., The Greek text with a Translation and Commentary, Transcribed From The Original London Edition. WIDENGREN, G., 1983. Sources of Parthian and Sasanian History, in: Yarshater E. (ed.), The Cambridge History of Iran, Vol 3(2), The Seleucid, Parthian and Sasanian periods, part 37, Cambridge University Press: 1261-1283.

94839_Iran_Antiq_47-2012_05.indd 124 12/04/12 08:36 THE LOCATION OF THE PARTHIAN CITY OF BAGISTANA IN BISOTUN 125

Pl. 1. Top: Aerial view of the Bisotun mountain and location of the city of Bagistana (after Schmidt 1940: fig. 101); Bottom: View of the Parthian site of Bisotun.

94839_Iran_Antiq_47-2012_05.indd 125 12/04/12 08:36 126 SAJJAD ALIBAIGI - KAMAL-ALDIN NIKNAMI - SHOKOUH KHOSRAVI Some “clinky ware” potsherds from the Parthian site of Bisotun.

Pl. 2.

94839_Iran_Antiq_47-2012_05.indd 126 12/04/12 08:36 THE LOCATION OF THE PARTHIAN CITY OF BAGISTANA IN BISOTUN 127

Pl. 3. Sherds from the Parthian site of Bisotun.

94839_Iran_Antiq_47-2012_05.indd 127 12/04/12 08:36 128 SAJJAD ALIBAIGI - KAMAL-ALDIN NIKNAMI - SHOKOUH KHOSRAVI Sherds from the Parthian site of Bisotun.

Pl. 4.

94839_Iran_Antiq_47-2012_05.indd 128 12/04/12 08:36 THE LOCATION OF THE PARTHIAN CITY OF BAGISTANA IN BISOTUN 129

Pl. 5. : Parthian stamp seal and an Elymean coin. Bottom: Jar burial of the Parthian period from the Parthian site of Bisotun.

94839_Iran_Antiq_47-2012_05.indd 129 12/04/12 08:36 130 SAJJAD ALIBAIGI - KAMAL-ALDIN NIKNAMI - SHOKOUH KHOSRAVI

Pl. 6. The Parthian rockcut staircase (temple?) of Bisotun.

94839_Iran_Antiq_47-2012_05.indd 130 12/04/12 08:36 THE LOCATION OF THE PARTHIAN CITY OF BAGISTANA IN BISOTUN 131

Pl. 7 Top: Relief of Mithradates II (left), Gotarzes III (right) in the southern part of the Parthian site of Bisotun; Bottom: Relief of Vologases IV in the southern part of the Parthian site of Bisotun.

94839_Iran_Antiq_47-2012_05.indd 131 12/04/12 08:36