Exploring the archaeology and significance of Masjed-e Soleyman: a reassessment of the Elymaean Temple and its socio-cultural context in southwestern Iran

The archaeological complex of Masjed-e Soleyman is one of the most famous in the archaeology of ancient Iran. From the time of its discovery until today, there has been much discussion of its chronology and its function. The contribution in particular provided by Roman Ghirshman is still the most significant to this day, although many of his interpretations can be considered outdated. The aim of this contribution is to provide a new analysis of the architecture of the site in the more general context of the archaeology of the Iranian plateau and to verify the validity of the proposals, not only chronological but also functional, regarding the complex.