Maryam Dezhamkhooy – författare

Politics of the past: The Representation of the Ancient Empires by Iran’s Modern States' examines the highly problematic politics of the past surrounding the archaeology of ancient empires in Iran. Being indigenous, the authors regard the relations between archaeological remains, (negative) heritage, and modern strategies of suppression. The chapters provide a detailed analysis of how the practice of archaeology could be biased and ideologically charged. Discussing their own personal and professional experiences, the authors exemplify the real (ethical) dilemmas that archaeologists confront in the Middle East, calling for reflectivity and awareness among the archaeologists of the region. The text is accompanied by visual deconstruction of ancient rock reliefs to indicate the possibility of alternative histories.

Most scholarship on the nineteenth and early twentieth century Constitutional Revolution in Iran has focused on the role of two groups, intellectuals and the clergy. The role of women has largely been ignored, despite their widespread participation in the Revolution, and existing research on women has mainly focused on their achievements in the realm of women’s rights, which means that other aspects of women’s activism remain un-investigated. The aim of this book is twofold: first, it presents one of the very first studies of women’s resistance strategies and their resistance to consumerism in Iran; second, and in relation to the first objective, it attempts to demonstrate the biased nature of knowledge production in the studies of women in past societies, particularly the role of women in economics. This book therefore explores the public role of women and their efforts to revive Iran’s economy during and after the Constitutional Revolution.