Archaeology in the 1930s: Propagandistic and Business Interests Behind the Press Coverage of the Excavations in Persepolis

The reign of Reza Shah (1926-1941) marks a crucial turning point in the history of modern Iran, when centralized efforts were made to rebuild the state in terms of a progressive nation. Corresponding to the strong secular character of Reza Pahlavi’s rule, the official nationalism emphasized Iran’s pre-Islamic past. Thus, archaeology played an essential role in defining the national identity.
This talk examines the press coverage of archaeological field work during the 1930s, focusing on the excavations in Persepolis, the site of particular significance to the nation’s historical consciousness, and the Ettelaʿat, the country’s major daily at that time.
The period investigated here begins with the ratification of the Antiquities Law in 1930, which, after the abolition of the French monopoly, opened the country for field work by other nations. In the following years, the excavations in Persepolis attracted not only visitors from abroad, but also the Shah in 1932 and 1937.
Special attention is paid to the question of how archaeological excavations, at that time exclusively carried out by foreigners, were presented to the newspaper readers. During the 1930s the state gradually expanded its control over cultural and public life and used the press as a tool to disseminate the official propaganda. But it was during these turbulent years of general transition in Iran that also the press underwent a fundamental change towards professionalization and commercialization. By examining Ettelaʿat’s coverage of the archaeological activities, the features of Iran’s modern journalism will be highlighted too.