Politics of the Past: The Representation of the Ancient Empires by Iran’s Modern States

MARYAM DEZHAMKHOOY is Alexander von Humboldt alumna. She was assistant professor in archaeology at University of Birjand. She is a historical archaeologist with broad interest in theory. Since 2003 she has concentrated on the ‘archaeology of recent past’ with emphasis on political archaeology as the main theme, including conflicts, colonialism, gender, nationalism, etc. Maryam published mostly in scholarly anthropological and archaeological journals such as Archaeologies, International Journal of Historical Archaeology, World Archaeology, and Sexuality & Culture as well as chapters in edited volumes. She is a member of Gap End, a working group for Iranian-engaged archaeologists. Interested in gender and sexuality, she is also a member of AGE, Archaeology and Gender in Europe. Her work on gender in Sasanian Iran can be considered as pioneering in Iran. Her last publication, with Leila Papoli-Yazdi, was a monograph on gender, in Persian. | LEILA PAPOLI-YAZDI is Alexander von Humboldt alumna. In 2010, due to political issues, Leila was suspended of her post as assistant professor in archaeology at University of Neyshabour. She is an archaeologist of recent past. Starting in 2003 she has concentrated on disaster archaeology of Bam, a city located in southeastern Iran which was dramatically damaged by an earthquake. Afterwards she directed several projects in Pakistan, Kuwait and Iran. The main themes of all of her projects are oppression, gender, colonialism, nationalism, etc. Her work on political opposition and nationalism from an archaeological viewpoint can considered as pioneering in Iran. Leila published mostly in scholarly anthropological and archaeological journals such as World Archaeology, Archaeologies and International Journal of Historical Archaeology and also as well as chapters in edited volumes or as monographs in Persian. She is a member of Gap End, a working group for Iranian-engaged archaeologists. She is also a member of AGE, Archaeology and Gender in Europe. She is the co-author of a monograph on gender and hegemony in Persian.

• Foreword; Chapter 1. Governments, Archaeologists, and the Lasting Remains of Ancient Empires in the Middle East; Chapter 2. Take Your feet off Me! Achaemenids Depicted in Reliefs and Inscriptions; Chapter 3. Get off Your Horse! Sasanian Propaganda in Artistic Remains; Chapter 4. Nationalism and the Reproduction of the Ancient Kings/Empires by Iran’s Modern States; Chapter 5. Kings Riding Bikes: Towards the Deconstruction of Official Nationalist Archaeology; Acknowledgement; Glossary; Bibliography; Index