LONDON,
(CAIS) -- For the first time, an archeological team
in Persepolis Historical Site found out the original
design of one of the destroyed staircases of Persepolis.
This design reveals the construction of staircase of the
G-palace which is located behind Darius the Great' Palace.
“There is a destroyed staircase in the southern part of
Persepolis in the southern yard of Darius’ Palace which
leads to a hill. The design of the staircase was in
accordance with that of the Darius' Palace which indicates
that this staircase must have been constructed with a new
palace at the time of Ardeshir III (Artaxerxes). The
destroyed staircase was connecting the new palace with of
Darius' Palace; nothing has remained from that palace
today", said Afshin Yazdani, archeologist in
Persepolis and head of excavation team of G-Palace
staircase.
"For
an unknown reason, this staircase was moved to the south
of Darius’ Palace during the Post-Achaemenid era,”
Yazdani added.
This staircase was constructed between 359-335 BC and was
one of the most last constructions of Persepolis prior to
to collapse of Achaemenid Empire by Alexander II, the Macedonian
warlord in 333 BC.
“The staircase of G-palace is very similar to that of
Darius’ Palace, the only difference between them is that
while in Darius’ Palace the staircase leads to the
terrace of the palace through two landings; in the
staircase of G-palace you should pass two small wings
which were constructed vertically in front of the terrace
to reach to the landings” added Yazdani.
However, the decoration of the staircase are not similar
to the rest of Persepolis, especially, the reliefs showing
Median and Persian dignitaries are not sophisticated as
the Darius’ Palace decoration.
“It was late professor Erich Schmidt of Chicago University
who presented the design
of the plan of this staircase for the first time. His
investigation of Persepolis were reported in three
enormous, comprehensive volumes. However, although his
approach was organised and meticulously noted where he had
fond almost every fragment of the palace, but he made some errors with his reconstruction. In
some places he has designed six stairs for this staircase,
while somewhere else in his book he has considered eleven
stairs for the entrance gate and central courtyard of
Darius’ Palace. Nevertheless, the exact plan of this
staircase was identified during the archeological
excavations near Xerxes Palace which led to the discovery
of broken blocks,” explained Yazdani about the plan of
G-palace staircase.
Studies on this staircase revealed that the small wings
led to the staircase landings through seven stairs and
then 11 stairs connected the landings to the terrace. This
way the total number of stairs reached 18 and the number
of Median and Persian reliefs on the walls of this
staircase was 136 to begin with.
The staircase of G-palace is the biggest staircase of
Persepolis Palace Complex.
Persepolis Palace Complex is one of the most prominent and
splendid historical sites of ancient world which dates back to the
Achaemenid dynastic era (648 BC–330 BC). The exact date
of the construction of Persepolis is not known, but it is
assumed that Darius the Great began working on the 33-acre
terrace with its underground drainage system between 518 and
516 BC, so Persepolis palace to be built over as the ceremonial capital of Persian Empire.
However, Persepolis
and its majestic halls and residential palaces perished
in flames when Alexander II conquered and looted the
terrace in 335 BC. Persepolis was surrendered by its
garrison commander without a fight to prevent any massacre
by the invaders. However, after taking the terrace,
Alexander turned loos his Greek and Macedonian soldiers on
the lower city. For an entire day they murdered the men,
carried off the women and plundered the houses.
According to
historical accounts he removed 270 tons of gold-coins and
1200 tons of silver casts from Susa; and from Persepolis
total of 5,500 tons of silver which carried away on 20,000 mules and 5,000
camels.
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Source: CHN
