Jelogir Mound
© Tehran Times
Tehran - Jelogir Mound, a prehistorical hill situated northward of the UNESCO-tagged Persepolis, may be home to a ruined Achaemenid-era castle, an Iranian archaeologist suggests.

"Based on the archaeological evidence that is currently being studied, it can be hypothesized that Jelogir Mound was once home to an Achaemenid castle, which was probably existed in the [subsequent] Sassanid era," CHTN quoted senior archaeologist Vahid Younesi as saying on Sunday.

Younesi, who leads an archaeological survey on the mount, believes pottery fragments scattered at the site are a rich source of information that could shed a new light on ancient life on Jelogir Mound and its surroundings.

"Recognition of relative chronology and introduction of pottery features of various historical periods (Achaemenid, Parthian, Sassanid) of this area in Fars region will pave the way for us to access valuable information and findings of cultural heritage," he explained.

Situated northwest of Marvdasht plain, Dorudzan district, Jelogir mound is registered first by Andrea Williamson, then by William Samner through archaeological surveys at the southern Iranian pain, but regarding to its strategic location and it demands comprehensive investigation around the site to recognize peripheral settlements to understand the site position in Marvdasht Plain.

In the present paper, it is attempted to estimate the mound chronology, and the site role within the plain according to a comprehensive survey and analyzing the collected data.

Persepolis, also known as Takht-e Jamshid, whose magnificent ruins rest at the foot of Kuh-e Rahmat (Mountain of Mercy), was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire. It is situated 60 kilometers northeast of the city of Shiraz in Fars Province.

The city was burnt by Alexander the Great in 330 BC apparently as revenge to the Persians because it seems the Persian King Xerxes had burnt the Greek City of Athens around 150 years earlier.

The city's immense terrace was begun about 518 BC by Darius the Great, the Achaemenid Empire's king. On this terrace, successive kings erected a series of architecturally stunning palatial buildings, among them the massive Apadana palace and the Throne Hall ("Hundred-Column Hall").

This 13-ha ensemble of majestic approaches, monumental stairways, throne rooms (Apadana), reception rooms, and dependencies is classified among the world's greatest archaeological sites.

Persepolis was the seat of the government of the Achaemenid Empire, though it was designed primarily to be a showplace and spectacular center for the receptions and festivals of the kings and their empire.