The Communication Roads in Parsa during Achaemenid Period

Abstract

The Communication Roads in Parsa during Achaemenid Period<br><br>The Geographical Situation of Parsa, located between ancient civilizations, in the east<br><br>and the west created an important role for it in ancient times. The expansion of the<br><br>early settlement in this region parallel with those of Mesopotamia in the west and<br><br>Indus valley in the east indicates that Parsa (ancient Anshan) has been the centre of<br><br>communication and traffic zone between those civilizations.<br><br>Furthermore, following the arrival of Persians to this land and foundation of Persians<br><br>empire centred in Parsa and construction of two splendid Achaemenid royal cities,<br><br>Pasargadae and Persepolis in Parsa that brought together a large group of people in<br><br>this region including king, royal family, Persian elite and thousands of officials from<br><br>inside and outside of country and present of many ordinary people in this region made<br><br>Parsa heart of Persian empire, centre of meeting and communication, accordingly its<br><br>roads became one of the busiest within the Persian Empire. It seems, the Marvdast<br><br>plain where Persepolis located were the centre of those communication and centre of<br><br>divergence inside and outside of Parsa.<br><br>Apart from Persepolis-Susa Royal Road mentioned by Persepolis Text and classical<br><br>sources as one of those communication roads that it relatively is known the track of<br><br>other roads inside of Parsa has not been examined by scholars yet. Based on some<br><br>archaeological evidence, some of the Persepolis Texts, Classical sources and Moslem<br><br>geographers who paid special attention to Parsa Road in Middle Age, in this paper I<br><br>am going to draw up the track of roads that were running inside Parsa during<br><br>Achaemenid period.