Persepolis West: Evidence for a Pigment Production Site and Its Connections with Achaemenid Royal-Official Buildings

Abstract

This paper aims at elaborating the potential existence of craft production site(s) for manufacturing the colouring materials in the Persepolis area. In doing so, the paper discusses the colour pigments and elements used for decorating the Achaemenid royal-official buildings, the ancient contexts in which raw materials for colouring have been discovered and the parts of the Persepolis area in which the indication of possible craft production sites have been reported. Particular attention is paid to recently published archaeometric analyses which dealt with the scientific characterization of certain pigments unearthed in Persepolis West. By gathering all the aforementioned information, the author confirms the production of raw materials for colouring in the Persepolis West craft zone. Furthermore, the paper includes a detailed discussion on the exact functions of this craft production site and shows that Persia, together with Egypt, Greece, southern Italy, and eastern Anatolia, was one of the few places in which the production of Egyptian blue is evidenced.