DA FIRUZABAD AL GOLFO PERSICO: RICERCHE PER L’INDIVIDUAZIONE DEGLI APPRODI DI EPOCA PROTO-SASANIDE (III SECOLO D.C.) SULLA COSTA IRANIANA DEL GOLFO PERSICO

Abstract

In 2019, the Italian-Iranian Joint Archaeological Mission in the Fars launched the project “From Firuzabad
to the Persian Gulf”, linked to the PRIN 2017 project “Ērānšahr: Man, Landscape and Society in Arsacid and
Sasanian Iran”. Among the objectives of the project are the communications between the plateau and the Persian
Gulf in the 3rd century, given Ardashir I’s interest in controlling this sea suggested by some written sources.
The survey starts from Firuzabad, the initial centre of Ardashir, and covers the wide region as far as the port of
Siraf, active from the 5th century, the Gulf of Nayband and the adjacent Gavbandi plain, for which A. Askari
Chaverdi’s excavations at Tol-e Pargu date back to the 2nd century BC. A. Sembroni’s geomorphological study
reconstructs the ancient coastline of the Gulf of Nayband, while D.M. Mezzapelle uses the features revealed by
his seafaring experience to identify possible coastal landing sites for archaeological investigations.

Key words: Fars, Persian Gulf, connectivity, Firuzabad, landing places and harbours.