Plate

Unknown

ca. 3rd century BCE · Ceramic · Ancient Near Eastern Art

This ceramic plate, which has been heavily restored, has a ring base and a hanging rim. The interior is decorated with concentric incised lines, and there is a round depression in the center. It is made of a gray clay. It was excavated at Pasargadae in southwestern Iran, about 90 km northeast of Shiraz. Pasargadae was the first capital of the Achaemenid Persian Empire, founded by Cyrus the Great c. 546 B.C. The plate was found at the Tall-i Takht, a massive artificial platform presumably built as the site of a royal palace but converted into a fortified compound after Darius established a new capital at Persepolis around 520. However, the coin hoards and other finds from the Takht, including this plate, show that it continued to be occupied down into the second century B.C., long after the fall of the Achaemenid Empire. This plate was found near the fortification wall of the northern side of the Takht.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 3rd century BCE

Medium

Ceramic

Culture

Seleucid

Department

Ancient Near Eastern Art

Credit line

Purchase, H. Dunscombe Colt Gift, 1978