Notes On Persepolis – Persian Society at the time of Darius and Xerxes

Resource Description

1) Geographical Environment

 Geographical setting, natural features and resources of ancient Persia and its empire

 The Achaemenid empire was the largest to ever arise in antiquity

o Covered 6 million km2

o Stretched from the Caspian Sea in the north to the Indian Ocean in the south; from Egypt in the west and the Indus River in the east

 Located in Persia, or modern day Iran

 Imminent access to trade routes of the Silk Road and Persian Royal Road

 Thus, the Persian empire encompassed a wide variety of ethnicities, including

o Babylonians

o Medians

o Indians

o Lydians

 The central and oldest part of the empire was a vast plateau surrounded by mountain ranges

 The land also featured rivers for water supply and fertile valleys that were irrigated for farming and maintain by consistent rainfall

 This irrigation allowed the harvesting of cereal crops and fruit trees

 Great in size, the Persian empire was also rich in resources

o Metals included copper, gold, iron, lead tin and silver o Building materials included cedar, granite, limestone and marble o Featured much wildlife, as well as exotic animals from regions of Africa and Asia such as elephants

o Cereal crops and fruit were produced plentifully o Livestock (incl. cattle, goats and sheep) were herded across the empire and provided many goods such as food, wool and leather

o Horses were essential for the Persian cavalry

o Fisheries supplemented domestic demand and were exported to external markets

 Inscriptions at Susa also tells of the access to vast human resources available to the Persian empire

o Median goldsmiths

o Lydia stone cutters