Susa

Šuš

Iran · Khuzestan

Ancient cityUnknownUNESCO · 2015
Approximate period4,200 BCE — 1,300 CEFrom the Chalcolithic period to the Middle Ages See on the map ↓

In brief

Susa's archaeological layers extend from prehistory to the Islamic period; its final settlement phases date to the 13th century. Excavations of the Elamite and Achaemenid capital revealed palaces, houses and production areas.

What was found?

  • 1Darius's Palace

    The remains of the palace commissioned by Darius were uncovered on the Apadana mound. The building documents Susa's official status under Achaemenid rule.

  • 2Bull capital

    The monumental capital from the Apadana section of Darius's Palace bears facing bull figures. Its stonework and scale provide insight into the palace's columned architecture.

  • 3Palace of Artakserkses II

    The remains of another palace commissioned by Artakserkses II are also known. This building shows that royal construction continued after Darius.

  • 4Superimposed settlement layers

    Excavations uncovered residential, administrative, and palace buildings from different periods. Settlements built one above another make it possible to trace the city's long history.

What does it point to?

Susa bears tangible traces of reciprocal cultural interaction between the Iranian plateau and Mesopotamia. The palaces and settlement layers show the city's changing official and everyday functions under different administrations.

What did it teach us?

  1. It enabled comparisons of urban life during the Elamite, Persian, and Parthian periods through layers within the same site.
  2. It provided tangible evidence of the Achaemenid kings' major building programs in Susa.
  3. It revealed that residential areas expanded during the Parthian period.

Images

Archers frieze Darius 1st Palace Suse Louvre AOD 488 a
Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Susa house drawing
Udimu · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Record

Culture
Elamite, Achaemenid, Parthian and Sasanian
Coordinates
32.1893°, 48.2496°

Sources

  1. whc.unesco.org
  2. archeologie.culture.gouv.fr
  3. iranohellenica.eie.gr
  4. UNESCO Dünya Mirası Merkezi
  5. Louvre Müzesi — Apadana sütun başlığı

Nearby excavations


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12.000

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