Contents

List of plates

List of text figures

Editorial foreword

Introduction. The physical aspect of

Iran

1. Prehistory

Cave man

The first settlers on the plain

The prehistoric civilization of iran in the fourth millennium b.c.

Iran at the beginning of the third millennium b.c.

Iran in the third millennium b.c.

Iran in the second millennium b.c.

Elam

The kassites

2. The coming of the iranians

The immigration of the medes and persians

The formation of median unity

Cimmerians and scythians

The median kingdom

The luristan bronzes

Cyaxares

The treasure of sakiz

The median kingdom

Elam and the persians - the rise of the achaemen-

Ians

3. East against west

The achaemenian empire

Cyrus (559-530)

The fall of babylon

Pasargadae

Cambyses (530-522)

English