Advances in Achaemenid brick manufacturing technology: Evidence from the monumental gate at Tol-e Ajori (Fars, Iran)

摘要

This paper deals with the archaeometric characterization of the bricks belonging to Tol-a Ajori Gate, one of the most important excavated sites on the Iranian plateau (Fars, Iran), close to the World Cultural Heritage of Persepolis. The archaeological excavations were carried out between 2011 and 2016 and brought to light a monumental building. The wall of the structure is built with mud and fired bricks sometimes glazed that are very similar to the elements of Babylon's Ishtar Gate. Several investigations were carried out on the bricks in order to investigate the technology process and to compare their composition with local clays, as potential raw materials collected nearby the archaeological site.