Archaeological Mission of the University of Bologna and ISMEO in Iran Excavations of the Early Achaemenid monument of Tol-e Ajori (Persepolis)
The joint Iranian-Italian archaeological mission to Farshas been engaged since 2011 in the excavation of one of the most important archaeological survivals of the Achaemenid period, the Early Achaemenid monumental gate of Tol-e Ajori, located in the area of Bagh-e Firuzi, c.3.5 km west of the Persepolis terrace. The excavations are carried out in collaboration with the Research Institute for Cultural Heritage and Tourism, Islamic Republic of Iran, and Shiraz University.
The enormous interest aroused by this singular monument is partly due to its dating (on the basis of various archaeological and historical evidence) to an era prior to Darius I’s foundation of the terrace (c.518 BC), and also to the fact that it constitutes a larger-scale replica of the Neo-Babylonian phase of Babylon’s Ishtar gate, now rebuilt in the Berlin Pergamon Museum: they are similar in plan as well as in their decoration of flat and relief glazed bricks. The archaeological investigation extends to the gate’s entire topographical context – evidence of a royal architectural project in the Parsa area during the Early Achaemenid period, and is supplemented by archaeometric research conducted in collaboration with the University of Urbino “Carlo Bo” and Esfahan Art University.
Director: Pierfrancesco Callieri
Nation: Iran
Period: 2011 – in course
Plan of the Early Achaemenid site of Tol-e Ajori.
Tol-e Ajori, Trench 11, southern wall of the internal room with geometric and floral decoration made of glazed bricks.
Relief glazed brick from Tol-e Ajori, detail of the rear leg of a mushkhusshu.
Relief glazed bricks from Tol-e Ajori set in a drawingof one of the decorative panels onthe Ishtar Gate of Babylon.
