History and epigraphy of preislamic Iran
The course's educational objectives aim to enhance the students' analytical skills through an in-depth examination of specific topics relevant to the historical-cultural landscape of ancient Iran and the areas closely related to it. More specifically, the students will refine their skills in identifying diachronic developments and analogically correlating the evidence, achieving greater autonomy in using the appropriate tools of scientific research.
The 2021-2022 course will be of a seminar-type and will focus on the iconography of power related to the divine and cultic sphere in the Iranian plateau and Central Asia contexts. The course will examine different types of material - in particular glyptic, numismatic, sculptural - produced in the context of the great empires that characterized Iranian history from the rise of the Achaemenids to the fall of the Sassanians. The course also encourages the students to take part in the discussion attempting both the interpretation of individual iconographic elements and the overall reconstruction of the forms of representation of dynastic power.
During the course, the teacher will distribute didactic and bibliographic material, mostly taken from the following reference texts: M. Shenkar, 2014. Intangible Spirits and Graven Images: The Iconography of Deities in the Pre-Islamic Iranian World. M.B. Garrison, 2017. The Ritual Landscape at Persepolis. Glyptic Imagery from the Persepolis Fortification and Treasury Archives. M.P. Canepa 2018. The Iranian Expanse. Transforming Royal Identity through Architecture, Landscape, and the Built Environment, 550 BCE - 642 CE.