The Archaeology of Elam
Formation and Transformation of an Ancient Iranian State

This book examines the formation and transformation of Elam's many identities through both archaeological and written evidence.

D. T. Potts (Author)

9781107476639, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 12 November 2015

488 pages, 115 b/w illus. 6 maps 63 tables
25.4 x 17.8 x 2.7 cm, 0.97 kg

Elam was an important state in southwestern Iran from the third millennium BC to the appearance of the Persian Empire and beyond. Less well-known than its neighbors in Mesopotamia, Anatolia, the Levant or Egypt, it was nonetheless a region of extraordinary cultural vitality. This book examines the formation and transformation of Elam's many identities through both archaeological and written evidence, and brings to life one of the most important regions of Western Asia, re-evaluates its significance, and places it in the context of the most recent archaeological and historical scholarship. The new edition includes material from over 800 additional sources, reflecting the enormous amount of fieldwork and scholarship on Iran since 1999. Every chapter contains new insights and material that have been seamlessly integrated into the text in order to give the reader an up-to-date understanding of ancient Elam.

1. Elam: what, when, where?
2. Environment, climate, and resources
3. The immediate precursors of Elam
4. Elam and Awan
5. The dynasty of Shimashki
6. The grand regents of Elam and Susa
7. The kingdom of Susa and Anshan
8. The Neo-Elamite period
9. Elam in the Achaemenid empire
10. Elymais
11. Elam under the Sasanians and beyond
12. Conclusion.

Subject Areas: Archaeology [HD], Ancient history: to c 500 CE [HBLA], Middle Eastern history [HBJF1]