Post-Achaemenid Archaeology

History & Method of Research. The Circle of Ancient Iranian Studies (CAIS) IRANIAN ART & ARCHAEOLOGY: Post-Achaemenid Period By: K. Schippmann. Very few monuments from this period have been discovered in Iran, and probably none from the time of Alexander the Great, though it has been argued by H. Luschey that the long known life-size stone lion of HamadÃ-n was erected by Alexander as a cenotaph for his male-lover Hephaiston, who died suddenly at the games held in EcbÃ-tÃ-nÃ- in 324 BCE (A MI, N. F. I , 1968, pp. 115ff.). The only other monument which could perhaps be attributed to the Alexandrian period is the town of Ai Khanum (Ay XÃ-nom, q...v.) in the east of Greater-Iran, in what is today known as Afghanistan. P. Bernard, who excavated the site from 1964, does not rule out this possibility, though he is more inclined to date the foundation of the town from the reign of Seleucus I (312-281 BCE) (Comptes Rendus de l'AcadÃ©mie des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres, 1971, pp. 450f.; MDAFA 21, 1973; Comptes Rendus, 1975, pp. 167ff.)...The famous capital of this Greco-Bactrian kingdom, Bactra, modern Balkh, might also date to Alexander, however, the few excavations carried out there have produced no evidence concerning the post)Qxhqe,enid period, and no firm conclusions can be drawn (A. Foucher, MDAFA 1, 1942, pp. 98ff.; J.-C. Gardin, MDAFA 15, 1957).