| Pictured at the special presentation are (from left) the President of... Pictured at the special presentation are (from left) the President of the UOW Persian Culture Society, Mr Abbas Ranjbar, President of the Iranica Association, Mr Masoud Rowshan, and Dr Alvarez-Mon, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow from the Department of Archaeology, University of Sydney |
Special presentation held to celebrate anniversary of Encyclopaedia Iranica
4 Jun 2008 | Bernie Goldie
The Persian Culture Society of the University of the Wollongong recently hosted a special seminar sponsored by the Association of Iranica in Australasia to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the Encyclopaedia Iranica.
The meeting started with a welcome address by the President of the Society, Mr Abbas Ranjbar, followed by a brief presentation on Iranica by the President of Iranica Association Mr Masoud Rowshan.
He described the Encyclopaedia Iranica scope and the extent of scholarship that has contributed in the making of this comprehensive and monumental resource on the Iranian civilisation and related cultures.
Encyclopaedia Iranica is available in 14 printed volumes, up to alphabetical letter “J”. However, the online version at www.iranica.com is a database, searchable and accessible by any topics or subjects.
The overall objectives of the Association of Iranica are:
To introduce and promote the cultural and scholarly value of the Encyclopaedia Iranica to individuals, educational institutions, Iranian groups and the wider community
• To achieve recognition of Encyclopaedia Iranica as a valuable and unique scholarly source on Iranian civilisation and its place in the world
• To gain support for the development of the Iranica project through cultural and fundraising activities, and encourage individual and institutional sponsorship and subscription to the encyclopaedia
• To enrich the cultural life of the community through programs of talks, symposiums, artistic performances, exhibitions and conferences
• To promote a broader understanding of Persian culture in Australasia
• To act as an advocate for increased support for Encyclopaedia Iranica from all levels of the community, especially academic and scholarly institutions
The main speaker of the seminar was Dr Alvarez-Mon, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow from the Department of Archaeology, University of Sydney. Dr Alvarez-Mon, who holds a PhD in Ancient Near Eastern Art and Archaeology from University of California, Berkeley, gave a fascinating PowerPoint presentation entitled” Elam, the forgotten civilisation of ancient Iran”.
He explained that a substantial part of the ancient Iranian civilisation of Elam, which was located in the present-day Iranian provinces of Khuzistan and Fars, was centered in the Zagros Mountains. Accordingly, it is an unusual formula of highland and lowland traditions that are the foundation of this ancient culture.
He said the civilisation lasted for about 3,500 years and arguably ranks notable with contemporaneous Near Eastern cultures in fascination and significance.
Unique highlights of Elamite artistic production include a very distinctive and unparalleled control of pottery manufacture, metalwork, mud-brick architecture, and creation of such monumental masterpieces as the Ziggurat at Tchoga Zanbil; or the carving of intricate stone Elamites were highly-skilled in raising and breeding strong and fast running horses. This in turn made an easy transition for the Persians who effectively used horses in the battlefields and a fast messenger service throughout their kingdom.
The meeting ended with a lively discussion and questions from the floor.
Associate Professor Golshah Naghdy, of UOW’s School of Electrical, Computer and Telecommunication Engineering, said the Association of Iranica was thankful of the Persian Culture Society for providing an opportunity to hold the seminar.
“It is hoped that with continuing support from the academic staff and students similar scholarly and cultural functions can be arranged in the future at UOW,” he said.
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