Legacies of Ancient Persia

Dr. Alexiana Fry, a guest researcher at the University of Copenhagen, and Dr. Esther Brownsmith, an assistant professor of Hebrew Bible at the University of Dayton are interviewed by Charlotte Howley – a PhD candidate in UCLA’s Program of Iranian Studies. They discuss trauma theory/trauma hermeneutics, fan fiction theory as a lens for ancient rewriting, “feminist killjoys” and “affect aliens,” and propaganda and multiculturalism in Persian and modern contexts. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, please give our show a 5-star rating, and review us on Apple or Spotify. Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about Dr. Fry: https://www.alexianafry.com Learn more about Dr. Brownsmith: https://udayton.edu/directory/artssciences/religiousstudies/brownsmith-esther.php Follow Dr. Fry on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dradfry/ Check out Dr. Fry’s publications on Academia: https://sun.academia.edu/AlexianaFry/Books Find Dr. Fry’s new book on Esther and Trauma: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Esther-Keeps-Score-Trauma-Politics/dp/0334066867 Follow Dr. Brownsmith on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/estherbrownsmith Check out Dr. Brownsmith’s publications on Academia: https://udayton.academia.edu/EstherBrownsmith Find Dr. Brownsmith’s latest book on gendered violence: https://www.routledge.com/Gendered-Violence-in-Biblical-Narrative-The-Devouring-Metaphor/Brownsmith/p/book/9781032192987 Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Dr. James Howard-Johnston, an Emeritus Fellow at Corpus Christi College at the University of Oxford, joins Lexie to discuss his research on the Byzantine army, interests in Sasanian Iran through teaching and conferences on Roman–Persian relations, his interests in Sasanian silver coins, minting, and iconography, and he outlines the chronology and sources for Rome–Sasanian conflict. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, please give our show a 5-star rating, and review us on Apple or Spotify. Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about Dr. Howard-Johnston: https://www.ccc.ox.ac.uk/people/emeritus-fellows/james-howard-johnston Check out his 2022 lecture at the Pourdavoud Institute: https://pourdavoud.ucla.edu/media/videos/official-sources-and-the-reconstruction-of-history-the-case-of-the-last-great-war-of-antiquity/ Find his latest book Byzantium in a Changing World: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/byzantium-in-a-changing-world-9780198897873?cc=gb&lang=en& Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Dr. Matheus Treuk Medeiros de Araujo, an Associate Professor of Ancient Archaeology at the State University of Rio de Janeiro, is interviewed by Charlotte Howley – a 4th year PhD student in UCLA’s Program of Iranian Studies. They discuss scholarly “eunuch phobia,” gender bias, and resistance to translating terms without explicit mention of castration as well as dehumanizing modern language; using diverse evidence and methods like critical fabulation, centering violence and trauma in eunuch “creation”; same-sex love in Persian contexts versus Greek/Roman anxieties; and the “uncanny” in imperial art. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, please give our show a 5-star rating, and review us on Apple or Spotify. Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Check out his publications on Academia: https://sportsinbrazil.academia.edu/MatheusTreuk Send him an email: matheus.araujo@usp.br Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Dr. Nikolaus Overtoom, a professor of Ancient History at Washington State University, returns to the podcast to discuss his new book, "The Parthians at War: Combat Logistics, Reputation, and the First War with Rome," which examines Parthian militarism beyond tactics to include logistics, reputation, and interpreting Parthians through Greek and Roman sources while seeking their agency; a two-week teaching module on Parthians for world history instructors, including interactions with Rome and Han China; and offers a revisionist framing of the first Rome–Parthia war as a longer series of conflicts. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, please give our show a 5-star rating, and review us on Apple or Spotify. Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about Dr. Overtoom: https://history.wsu.edu/nikolaus-overtoom/ Check out his publications on Academia: https://wsu.academia.edu/NikolausOvertoom Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Dr. Deirdre Klokow, an assistant professor of Classics at the University of Texas at Austin, joins Lexie to discuss Seleucid coin iconography, who used coins alongside fiscal crisis and devaluation, the limits of evidence for women’s economic activity, her research on Laodike, and her forthcoming book, The Seleucids and Their Land. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, please give our show a 5-star rating, and review us on Apple or Spotify. Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram & Bluesky or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about Dr. Klokow: https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/classics/faculty/dk32338 Check out her publications on Academia: https://utexas.academia.edu/DeirdreKlokow Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Dr. Jennifer Finn, an ancient historian and chair of the Department of Classics at Loyola University, joins Lexie to discuss her research focus on Alexander the Great's military strategies and the cultural exchanges between Greeks and Persians, exploring the complexities of learning ancient languages like Akkadian and Sumerian and reflections on the challenges of studying Persian history through limited source material, and insights into the representation of Persian history in media, emphasizing the need for a more nuanced and balanced portrayal. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, please give our show a 5-star rating, and review us on Apple or Spotify. Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram & Bluesky or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about Dr. Finn: https://www.luc.edu/classicalstudies/facultydirectory/profiles/finn.shtml Check out her publications on Academia: https://luc.academia.edu/JenniferFinn Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Dr. Konrad Schmid, a professor of Hebrew Bible and Ancient Judaism at the University of Zurich, joins Lexie to discuss the historical and cultural context of the Hebrew Bible, its formation, the polytheistic to monotheistic transition, and its interactions with ancient Near Eastern empires including Assyria, Babylon, and Persia, and the impact of Persian governance and tolerance on Hebrew thought and texts. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, please give our show a 5-star rating, and review us on Apple or Spotify. Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram & Bluesky or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about Dr. Schmid: https://www.theologie.uzh.ch/en/faecher/old_testament/hebrewbible_and_ancientjudaism/team/schmid.html Check out his publications on Academia: https://uzh.academia.edu/KonradSchmid Watch the video of his Achaemenid Workshop 3 talk: https://pourdavoud.ucla.edu/media/videos/reactions-to-the-achaemenid-empire-in-the-contemporaneous-literature-of-the-hebrew-bible/ Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Dr. Simone Oppen, a professor of Classical & Near Eastern Religions and Cultures at the University of Minnesota, joins Lexie to discuss how her high school Italian course blossomed into a passion for ancient Greece, Latin, and Greek, her current work on Persian respect for Greek sacred spaces during Xerxes’ reign, exploring how this respect is depicted in ancient Greek texts and supported by comparative archaeological evidence, and various aspects of ancient history, including Persia's handling of conquered religious sites. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, please give our show a 5-star rating, and review us on Apple or Spotify. Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram & Bluesky or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about Dr. Oppen: https://cla.umn.edu/about/directory/profile/soppen Check out her publications on Academia: https://spanalumni.academia.edu/SimoneOppen Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Dr. Olga Davidson, a research fellow with the Institute for the Study of Muslim Societies and Civilizations at Boston University, joins Lexie to discuss her serendipitous steps towards specializing in Persian epic literature, particularly the Shahnameh, and its comparative significance alongside Greek classics, discusses the rich cross-cultural connections that shape her research, the importance of the Shahnameh, and provides an update on her ongoing projects, her views on the current state of Persian studies in academia and the potential for greater inclusion in high school curricula. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, please give our show a 5-star rating, and review us on Apple or Spotify. Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram & Bluesky or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Find all of her books here: https://www.hup.harvard.edu/authors/9158-davidson-olga-m Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Dr. Catherine Bonesho, an Assistant Professor of Early Judaism at UCLA, joins Lexie to discuss her interest in the field of ancient Judaism and in ancient Jewish communities during the Second Temple period (spanning from the Persian to the Roman Empire), her focus primarily on interpretations of various empires' influences on Jewish communities and the study of Aramaic dialects, her role in co-organizing UCLA’s Bible conference and her presentation related to the Book of Esther and Purim and the influence of ancient Iran on these traditions. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, please give our show a 5-star rating, and review us on Apple or Spotify. Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram & Bluesky or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about Dr. Bonesho: https://nelc.ucla.edu/person/catherine-bonesho/ Check out her publications on Academia: https://ucla.academia.edu/CatherineBonesho Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Dr. Margaret Cool Root, a Professor Emerita of Iranian Studies at the University of Michigan, joins Lexie to discuss her academic journey from Classical and Near Eastern archaeology to Persian studies, highlighting key influences and interests in representational iconography, how Persian art differs from other ancient cultures, notably through its depictions of peace and cooperation rather than war, and the unique aspects of seals as both functional and artistic objects. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, please give our show a 5-star rating, and review us on Apple or Spotify. Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram & Bluesky or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about Dr. Root: https://lsa.umich.edu/histart/people/emeriti-faculty/mcroot.html Check out her publications on Academia: https://umich.academia.edu/MargaretRoot Check out a talk she gave for the Pourdavoud: https://pourdavoud.ucla.edu/video/kingship-for-a-new-world-achaemenid-art-and-its-global-resonances/ Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Dr. Jeffrey Spier, a former Senior Curator of Antiquities at the Getty Villa, joins Lexie to discuss the intricacies of museum work, particularly the challenges of displaying small artifacts such as coins and gems, the impact of the Getty’s 2022 exhibition 'Ancient Iran in the Classical World', the role of artifacts in understanding historical interactions between cultures, and the evolving field of museum curation. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, please give our show a 5-star rating, and review us on Apple or Spotify. Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Find Dr. Spier’s publications on Academia: https://getty.academia.edu/JeffreySpier Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Dr. Jenny Rose, a former professor of Ancient Iranian Studies at Claremont Graduate University, is interviewed by Charlotte Howley – a 3rd year PhD student in UCLA’s Program of Iranian Studies. They discuss the historical and contemporary significance of Zoroastrianism, including its underrepresentation in popular culture and scholarship, the evolving role of women and gender dynamics within Zoroastrianism, and the reception of Zoroastrian figures like Zoroaster and Cyrus the Great in European history and culture. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, please give our show a 5-star rating, and review us on Apple or Spotify. Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about Dr. Rose: https://www.cgu.edu/people/jenny-rose/ Check out her publications on Academia: https://claremont.academia.edu/JennyRose Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Dr. Elizabeth Carter, professor emerita of Iranian Archaeology at UCLA, joins Lexie to discuss how backyard digs sparked her early love for archaeology, her experience working in Iran, Iraq, and Turkey, the intricacies of understanding the cultural significance of artifacts, and the difficulties young scholars face today due to the political restrictions on archaeological fieldwork in Iran. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, please give our show a 5-star rating, and review us on Apple or Spotify. Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about Dr. Carter: https://nelc.ucla.edu/person/elizabeth-carter/ Check out her publications on Academia: https://ucla.academia.edu/CarterhumnetuclaeduCarter Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Marco Ferrario, an ancient historian specializing in the longue durée of the Eastern Iranian world, joins Lexie to discuss how influential mentors and serendipitous opportunities pushed his interests from Classics into studying Ancient Persia and Central Asia, Bactria’s rich history and the challenges of studying the region, and the importance of interdisciplinary research to gain a more wholistic appreciation of antiquity. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, please give our show a 5-star rating, and review us on Apple or Spotify. Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Check out his publications on Academia: https://unitn.academia.edu/MarcoFerrario Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Dr. Nikolaus Overtoom, a professor of Ancient History at Washington State University, joins Lexie to discuss the significance of Parthian warfare, the strategic use of cavalry and the logistical challenges of utilizing war elephants, and examining Parthian interactions with the Greco-Roman world to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the ancient Mediterranean world. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, please give our show a 5-star rating, and review us on Apple or Spotify. Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about Dr. Overtoom: https://history.wsu.edu/nikolaus-overtoom/ Check out his publications on Academia: https://wsu.academia.edu/NikolausOvertoom Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Dr. Jason BeDuhn, a professor of Religious Studies at Northern Arizona University, joins Lexie to discuss the history of Manichaeism, exploring its dualistic cosmology and its connections to various religious traditions, including Christianity, Zoroastrianism, and Platonism, the challenges Manichaeism faced, including its eventual decline due to persecution in both the West and East, and archaeological discoveries related to Manichaeism, particularly in Egypt and China. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, please give our show a 5-star rating, and review us on Apple or Spotify. Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about Dr. BeDuhn: https://directory.nau.edu/?person=jdb8 Check out his publications on Academia: https://nau.academia.edu/JasonBeDuhn Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Dr. Rolf Strootman, a professor of Ancient History at the University of Utrecht, joins Lexie to discuss the complexities surrounding the Persian identity after Alexander the Great's conquests, Alexander's unique approach to governance and cultural integration, particularly through his marriages to Persian women, the role of women in his life, and the aftermath of Alexander's death. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, please give our show a 5-star rating, and review us on Apple or Spotify. Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about Dr. Strootman: https://www.uu.nl/staff/RStrootman Check out his publications on Academia: https://uu.academia.edu/RolfStrootman Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Dr. Eve MacDonald, an ancient historian and archaeologist at Cardiff University, joins Lexie to discuss the often-overlooked technological advancements of the Carthaginians and the importance of understanding their narrative beyond the Roman perspective, her work on the Sasanian Empire and the significance of borderlands and how local identities evolved in response to the shifting powers of the time, and the role of monumental structures and the impact of monumental architecture on historical narratives. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, please give our show a 5-star rating, and review us on Apple or Spotify. Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about Dr. MacDonald: https://profiles.cardiff.ac.uk/staff/macdonaldg1 Check out her publications on Academia: https://cardiff.academia.edu/EveMacDonald Follow her on Bluesky: @gevemac.bsky.social Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Dr. Neville McFerrin, a professor of Art History at the University of North Texas, is interviewed by Charlotte Howley – a 2nd year PhD student in UCLA’s Program of Iranian Studies. They discuss the connections between dress, ornamentation, and architecture, particularly in the context of research on Pompeii and Persepolis, the concept of proprioception and how ancient peoples understood their environments and interactions within them, and the role of water and plant imagery in the art of Persepolis. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, please give our show a 5-star rating, and review us on Apple or Spotify. Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about Dr. McFerrin: https://cvad.unt.edu/people/mcferrin-neville.html Learn more about Charlotte: https://nelc.ucla.edu/person/charlotte-howley/ Check out her publications on Academia: https://unt.academia.edu/NevilleMcFerrin Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Dr. David Potter, a professor of Classics at the University of Michigan, joins Lexie to discuss the intriguing figure of Empress Theodora, the perceptions of the Sasanians by the Romans, and the complex relations and greatest lessons we can learn from the two ancient empires. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, please give our show a 5-star rating, and review us on Apple or Spotify. Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about Dr. Potter: https://lsa.umich.edu/classics/people/departmental-faculty/dsp.html Check out his publications on Academia: https://umich.academia.edu/DavidPotter Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Dr. Mehrnoush Soroush, a professor of Ancient Near Eastern Studies at the University of Chicago, joins Lexie to discuss studying water hydraulics, water management and usage by the Persians, whether we should consider water a luxury resource, and identifying the many changes & problems in both the ancient and modern world when it comes to dealing with water issues. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, please give our show a 5-star rating, and review us on Apple or Spotify. Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about Dr. Soroush: https://mes.uchicago.edu/mehrnoush-soroush Check out her publications on Academia: https://chicago.academia.edu/mehrnoushsoroush Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Dr. Tawny Holm, a professor of Jewish Studies and Classics at Pennsylvania State University, joins Lexie to discuss the importance of Aramaic language, why Papyrus Amherst 63 is so important, unique, and a bit odd, and the difficulties when teaching the Book of Daniel especially when dealing with the historical inaccuracies of the Persian timeline. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, please give our show a 5-star rating, and review us on Apple or Spotify. Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about Dr. Holm: https://jewishstudies.la.psu.edu/people/tuh14/ Check out her publications on Academia: https://pennstate.academia.edu/TawnyHolm Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Dr. Ali Mousavi, a Pourdavoud Research Scholar and adjunct professor of Iranian Archaeology at UCLA, joins Lexie for a special minisode to talk about a unique archaeological site from the Archaeological Gazetteer of Iran database! Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about Dr. Mousavi: https://pourdavoud.ucla.edu/person/ali-mousavi/ Check out today’s site: https://irangazetteer.ucla.edu/catalogue/bishapur-بیشاپور/ Find more Archaeological Gazetteer of Iran sites: https://irangazetteer.ucla.edu Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Dr. Ali Mousavi, a Pourdavoud Research Scholar and adjunct professor of Iranian Archaeology at UCLA, joins Lexie for a special minisode to talk about a unique archaeological site from the Archaeological Gazetteer of Iran database! Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about Dr. Mousavi: https://pourdavoud.ucla.edu/person/ali-mousavi/ Check out today’s site: https://irangazetteer.ucla.edu/catalogue/firuzabad-shahr-e-gur-ardashir-khwarra-فیروزاباد-شهرگور-اردشیر-خوره/ Find more Archaeological Gazetteer of Iran sites: https://irangazetteer.ucla.edu Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Dr. Ali Mousavi, a Pourdavoud Research Scholar and adjunct professor of Iranian Archaeology at UCLA, joins Lexie for a special minisode to talk about a unique archaeological site from the Archaeological Gazetteer of Iran database! Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about Dr. Mousavi: https://pourdavoud.ucla.edu/person/ali-mousavi/ Check out today’s site: https://irangazetteer.ucla.edu/catalogue/pasargadae-پاسارگاد/ Find more Archaeological Gazetteer of Iran sites: https://irangazetteer.ucla.edu Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Dr. Ali Mousavi, a Pourdavoud Research Scholar and adjunct professor of Iranian Archaeology at UCLA, joins Lexie for a special minisode to talk about a unique archaeological site from the Archaeological Gazetteer of Iran database! Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about Dr. Mousavi: https://pourdavoud.ucla.edu/person/ali-mousavi/ Check out today’s site: https://irangazetteer.ucla.edu/catalogue/takht-e-soleyman-تخت-سلیمان/ Find more Archaeological Gazetteer of Iran sites: https://irangazetteer.ucla.edu Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

This week we are joined by 5 Iranian Studies Graduate students: Emma Petersen, Charlotte Howley, James Scherrer, Ethan Friedland, and Hong Yu Chen. In this episode, they sat down with guest host Dr. Marissa Stevens to discuss their research and the state of the field. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, please give our show a 5-star rating, and review us on Apple or Spotify. Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about Dr. Marissa Stevens: https://pourdavoud.ucla.edu/person/marissa-stevens/ Find our students on the Department of Near Eastern Languages & Cultures website: Emma: https://nelc.ucla.edu/person/emma-peterson/ Charlotte: https://nelc.ucla.edu/person/charlotte-howley/ Ethan: https://nelc.ucla.edu/person/ethan-friedland/ Hong: https://nelc.ucla.edu/person/hong-chen/ Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Dr. Jonathan Winnerman, an Egyptologist, and Academic Administrator in Ancient Studies at UCLA, joins Lexie to discuss exploring aspects of sacred kingship in New Kingdom Egypt, the importance of studying Hibis Temple to understand Persian-Egyptian kingship, and his work with UCLA’s Global Antiquity initiative and how it can provide a forum for the study of antiquity in a wider global context. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, please give our show a 5-star rating, and review us on Apple or Spotify. Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about Dr. Winnerman: https://nelc.ucla.edu/person/jonathan-winnerman/ Read his article in the Journal of Near Eastern Studies: https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10.1086/713392 Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Dr. Touraj Daryaee, a professor of Iranian studies and director of the Dr. Samuel M. Jordan Center for Persian Studies and Culture at the University of California, Irvine, joins Lexie to discuss the big Sasanian Empire question that drew him into the field of Iranian Studies, who the Sasanians were and what we can thank them for, a look into the Sasanian economy and famous battles, and the resources available now and potentially in the future to aid the study of the Sasanian Empire. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, please give our show a 5-star rating, and review us on Apple or Spotify. Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about Dr. Daryaee: https://www.faculty.uci.edu/profile/?facultyId=5432 Find his publications on Academia: https://uci.academia.edu/TourajDaryaee Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/tourajdaryaee?lang=en Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Dr. Lara Fabian, a professor of Iranian archaeology at UCLA, joins Lexie to discuss how she came to archaeology from a solid career outside of academia, the unique linguistic challenges when studying Iran and the Caucasus, tackling problems of Iron Age chronology, and understanding the true definition of the study of archaeology. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, please give our show a 5-star rating, and review us on Apple or Spotify. Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about Dr. Fabian: https://nelc.ucla.edu/person/lara-fabian/ Find her publications on Academia: https://ucla.academia.edu/LaraFabian Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Dr. Julian Degen, a research fellow and academic teacher at Trier University, joins Lexie to discuss assessing Alexander of Macedon as a statesman rather than just as a conqueror, Alexander’s treatment of Greek mercenaries fighting for Darius, and the reconstructed Roman merchant boat project at Trier University. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, please give our show a 5-star rating, and review us on Apple or Spotify. Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about Dr. Degen: https://www.uni-trier.de/universitaet/fachbereiche-faecher/fachbereich-iii/faecher/geschichte/profil/fachgebiete/alte-geschichte-1/team/default-f3bb4cac12 Find his publications on Academia: https://uni-trier.academia.edu/JulianDegen Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Dr. Robert Rollinger, a professor of ancient history and ancient Near Eastern studies at the University of Innsbruck, joins Lexie to discuss deconstructing Eurocentrism as a crucial component of understanding ancient cross-cultural interactions, what made an empire and empire in antiquity, and exploring the state of both Achaemenid and ancient studies in general today. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, please give our show a 5-star rating, and review us on Apple or Spotify. Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about Dr. Rollinger: https://www.uibk.ac.at/alte-geschichte-orient/institut/team/univ-prof_mag_dr_robert_rollinger.html.en Find his publications on Academia: https://uibk.academia.edu/RobertRollinger Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Dr. Marissa Stevens, the Assistant Director of the Pourdavoud Institute and an Egyptologist, joins Lexie to discuss how she developed an interest in cross-cultural interactions via her work with 21st Dynasty Egyptian funerary papyri, her hopes for expanding Egypt-Persia projects and working at the Pourdavoud Institute, and about the types of future outreach initiatives the Pourdavoud could produce for the general public. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, please give our show a 5-star rating, and review us on Apple or Spotify. Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about Dr. Stevens: https://pourdavoud.ucla.edu/person/marissa-stevens/ Find her publications on Academia: https://ucla.academia.edu/MarissaStevens Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Dr. Christelle Fischer-Bovet, a professor of Classics, History, and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Southern California, joins Lexie to discuss whether the lack of instruction past the death of Alexander of Macedon hinders efforts to study the history of the aftermath his death created, a short introduction to the uses and movement of papyri in the Mediterranean, and the relationship between Ptolemaic Egypt and Seleucid Persia. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, please give our show a 5-star rating, and review us on Apple or Spotify. Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about Dr. Fischer-Bovet: https://dornsife.usc.edu/profile/christelle-fischer-bovet/ Find Dr. Fischer-Bovet’s publications on her Academia page: https://usc.academia.edu/ChristelleFischerBovet Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Dr. Henry Colburn, a research associate of the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology at the University of Michigan and an adjunct faculty member at several institutions, joins Lexie to discuss finding a way to study the Persians in Egypt while coming from a Classics background, how to identify and spot a Persian in Egypt, and assessing problems in studying Parthian art especially due to the lack of remaining material culture and sites. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, please give our show a 5-star rating, and review us on Apple or Spotify. Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about Dr. Colburn: https://henrycolburn.hcommons.org Find Dr. Colburn’s publications on his Academia page: https://nyu.academia.edu/HenryColburn Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Leyla Johnson, a Lebanese American video game developer specializing in historical strategy games and CEO of Mohawk Games, joins Lexie to discuss growing up in Lebanon with a love for history, learning all about Cyrus the Great and conducting historical research for her video game “Old World”, and working with a composer to achieve an ancient sounding and culturally appropriate game soundtrack. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, please give our show a 5-star rating, and review us on Apple or Spotify. Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about Leyla: https://www.mohawkgames.com/team/ Follow Leyla on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeylaCatJ Check out Mohawk’s latest game “Old World”: https://mohawkgames.com/oldworld/ Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Dr. Ali Mousavi, a Pourdavoud Research Scholar and adjunct professor of Iranian Archaeology at UCLA, joins Lexie to discuss his experience growing up in Iran with an archaeologist father and how it shaped his career, creating the Archaeological Gazetteer of Iran for the Pourdavoud Institute, his experience working for UNESCO, and about the possibilities for digitally rendering ancient sites like the Getty’s “Persepolis Reimagined”. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, please give our show a 5-star rating, and review us on Apple or Spotify. Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about Dr. Mousavi: https://pourdavoud.ucla.edu/person/ali-mousavi/ Check out the Archaeological Gazetteer of Iran: https://irangazetteer.ucla.edu Explore the Getty’s Persepolis Reimagined: https://persepolis.getty.edu Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Dr. John W.I. Lee, a professor of Ancient History at the University of California, Santa Barbara, joins Lexie to discuss why the Persian Wars weren’t his entry point into Achaemenid studies, how having a PhD student from Iran both enhances and challenges him as an educator, the personal and family relationships between Greece and Persia, and his freedom to design courses at a smaller institution. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, please give our show a 5-star rating, and review us on Apple or Spotify. Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about Dr. Lee: https://www.history.ucsb.edu/faculty/john-w-i-lee/ Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Dr. Kathleen Lynch, a professor of Classical Archaeology at the University of Cincinnati, joins Lexie to discuss how she got into studying ancient Athenian pottery in Persian Anatolia, why the Persians didn’t want ceramics but still adopted Greek artistic motifs, and how we can use technology in media/gaming to recreate accurate ancient Persian art. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, please give our show a 5-star rating, and review us on Apple or Spotify. Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about Dr. Lynch: https://researchdirectory.uc.edu/p/lynchkn Find Dr. Lynch’s publications on her Academia page: https://uc.academia.edu/KathleenLynch Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Trevor Culley, creator and host of the History of Persia podcast, joins Lexie to discuss why he started a podcast on Persian history, what the writing process is like for a scripted history podcast, the reception to his show from diasporic Persian communities, and what parts of Persian history he’d like to see someone else take on going forward. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, please give our show a 5-star rating, and review us on Apple or Spotify. Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Check out Trevor’s website: https://historyofpersiapodcast.com Find his show’s selected bibliography: https://historyofpersiapodcast.com/bibliography/ Follow History of Persia on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HistoryofPersia Follow History of Persia on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HistoryofPersiaPodcast/ Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Dr. Jake Nabel, a professor of Classics at Pennsylvania State University, joins Lexie to discuss and provide a short introduction to the Parthian empire and who we should know, the unique challenges to studying the Parthians (since most texts are from the Greeks and Romans), and why the Parthians are often left out of modern media and how we can start to change that. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, please give our show a 5-star rating, and review us on Apple or Spotify. Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about Dr. Nabel: https://cams.la.psu.edu/people/jtn5201/ Find Dr. Nabel’s publications on his Academia page: https://pennstate.academia.edu/JakeNabel Follow Dr. Nabel on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JakeNabel Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Dr. Sara Cole, an antiquities curator at the J. Paul Getty Museum, joins Lexie to discuss her early interest in material culture and museums, her experience being a part of the curating team for the Getty’s Persian art exhibit, and explore the multifaceted accessibility and digital accommodation questions that arise when putting together museum exhibits. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, please give our show a 5-star rating, and review us on Apple or Spotify. Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about some of Dr. Cole’s projects: https://blogs.getty.edu/iris/author/scole/ Find more publications on Dr. Cole’s Academia page: https://getty.academia.edu/SaraECole Read up on the Getty’s new Book of the Dead exhibit curated by Dr. Cole: https://www.getty.edu/news/what-is-the-egyptian-book-of-the-dead/ Read about the Getty’s 2022 Persia exhibit: https://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/persia/ Check out the digital Persepolis re-imagined online experience: https://persepolis.getty.edu Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Dr. John Hyland, a professor of Ancient History at Christopher Newport University, joins Lexie to discuss the real relationship between Sparta and Persia, dive into the motivations behind Persia funding the Spartans – who were not a naval power – and look a little at the logistics of war and the issues surrounding the movement of armies and supplies. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, please give our show a 5-star rating, and review us on Apple or Spotify. Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about Dr. Hyland: https://cnu.edu/people/johnhyland/ Check out Dr. Hyland’s book: https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/11954/persian-interventions Find more publications on Dr. Hyland’s Academia page: https://cnu.academia.edu/JohnHyland Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Dr. Daniel Potts, a professor of Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology and History at New York University’s Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW), joins Lexie to discuss the challenges of not being able to travel to Iran for fieldwork, run through a brief recap of the Elamites and Persian prehistory, and talk about his new book on the importance of kinship in ancient Iran, particularly during the Elamite period. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, please give our show a 5-star rating, and review us on Apple or Spotify. Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about Dr. Potts: https://isaw.nyu.edu/people/faculty/isaw-faculty/daniel-t-potts Check out Dr. Potts’s new book Aspects of Kinship in Ancient Iran: https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520394995/aspects-of-kinship-in-ancient-iran Recorded & edited by Lexie Henning, original music by Brent Arehart, and artwork by Hadley Leasman.

Prof. Rahim Shayegan, Director of the Pourdavoud Institute, provides an introduction to the 5 W’s (who, what, when, where & why) of Ancient Persia. For those unfamiliar with the geography, chronology, notable figures, and accomplishments of the ancient Persians, this will be a starting point that we hope will help guide you as you begin your journey listening to our podcast. This episode is co-hosted by Lexie Henning and Dr. Marissa Stevens, Assistant Director of the Pourdavoud Institute.