Anthropology-Ancient Persian Culture

ANCIENT PERSIAN CULTURE (Anthropology

Introduction

Persia refers to the region stretching over the Iranian plateau and beyond . Its ancient and colorful history points to a powerful series of empires , the Achaemenid dynasty being the earliest considered entity of the Persian Empire , which was composed of a united Aryan kingdom that originated in the region now known as Pars province of Iran . Although Persia 's earliest known kingdom was the proto-Elamite Empire and followed by the Medes , the Achaemenid Empire is usually the earliest to be called Persian , and it was during

this period that the country of Iran owes its formation

The name `Persia ' has been used by the West to refer to the nation of Iran , its ancient empires , or people . It is taken from Iran 's maritime province called `Fars ' or Parsa in Old Persian language . The word means above reproach

The word `Persia ' is the Latinized form which other European nations adapted , until March 21 , 1935 when Reza Shah Pahlavi formally asked the international community to call their country as Iran . This was the term used by the Aryan tribes who formed the country as Iran . This was the term used by the Aryan tribes who formed the country during the Achaemenid period . There were protests coming from some Persian scholars upon this major change , alleging that changing the name separates a country from its past and identity . They further argued that Westerners confuse the name Iran with Iraq . In to arrive at a compromise , his son Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi announced in 1959 that both Persia and Iran can be used interchangeably

Iran possesses one of the world 's oldest continuous major civilizations Its history covers thousands of years from the ancient civilization on the Iranian plateau , Mannaeans civilization in Azerbaijan Shahri-i-Sokhta (Burned City ) in Zabol and ancient kingdom of Jiroft This was followed by the kingdom of Elam and the Achaemenid , Parthian Sassanian and the subsequent Empires up to modern Islamic Republic of Iran

History

The early history of man in Iran dates back beyond the Neolithic period Archeological findings place Persia 's prehistory about 100 ,000 years ago . Progress and development came when people began to domesticate animals and plant wheat and barley . Consequently , the number of settled communities increased , and handmade painted pottery appeared . Even throughout the prehistoric period , which runs from the middle of the sixth millennium BC to about 3000 BC , hand painted pottery is a common characteristic in many areas in Iran

There are various records of numerous ancient and advanced civilizations along the Iranian plateau even before the arrival of the Aryans from the north , many of which are still unknown by present day historians . By 6000 BCE , the world saw a considerably sophisticated agricultural society and proto-urban population centers . On the south-west part of Iran runs the Fertile Crescent where humanity 's first major crops were grown . 7000 year-old jars of wine were unearthed in the Zagros Mountains . Ruins of old settlements such as Sialk bear testimony...