Anshan Persia, Ancient capital city in Fars Province, Iran
Anshan is an archaeological site in Fars Province that preserves remains of several civilizations spanning nearly two thousand years. The ruins spread across a wide area at the foot of the Zagros Mountains, showing foundations of city walls, residential quarters, and public buildings.
The settlement was founded in the third millennium before Christ and developed into the capital of the Elamite kingdom. In the seventh century before Christ, the Persians incorporated the area into their growing empire and moved the political center to Pasargadae.
The name Anshan appears in old cuneiform texts as an important seat of Elamite kings who maintained their palace here. Visitors can still see traces of administrative buildings where scribes recorded contracts and trade agreements on clay tablets.
The excavation site sits in hilly terrain north of Shiraz and requires sturdy footwear for walking around. Access needs a research permit since the area continues to undergo scientific study and is not consistently open to general visitors.
Archaeologists found inscribed brick pieces in an area called Malian with religious dedications from the royal period. These inscriptions name gods and rituals that are documented nowhere else in the region in this form.
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