INTRODUCTION

In February 2006 a culmination of a mission conducted prior to Sulaimaniya from our team, in which they were made contacts with local authorities responsible for safeguarding the cultural heritage of the region of Kurdistan, was launched the joint project called "Project Paikuli". The decision to start our search with the investigation of the Tower of Paikuli is due to the great importance of this historical monument. Registration royal bore it is, in fact, a historical document that has advanced the study of civilization from Iran will not only a historical-cultural but also, and perhaps most importantly, language. The aim of the project from the outset has been to lay the foundations for further studies on the monument of Paikuli, both for its preservation and enhancement. Date, in fact, its difficult accessibility, first due to geographic isolation and the tragic events in the last century have involved the region of Iraqi Kurdistan, in situ studies made so far are confined almost exclusively to the expeditions conducted by the German archaeologist E. Herzfeld in the early years of the twentieth century. Bringing today, research supported by new media and technologies is therefore to provide new and more detailed knowledge as well as assessing the actual state of preservation of the current membership, having suffered much damage due to weather , especially as to human activities (reuse of the blocks, war, subtraction embezzlement and theft).

The tower and its inscription

The monument stands today Paikuli in Iraqi territory, in isolated position, the first western buttresses of the central Zagros Mountains, halfway between today's provincial capital of Sulaimaniya and the important places of archaeological and Qasr-Shirin, in territory Iranian. In ancient stood on the border between the province sasanide known as Asurestan and royal province, where was situated the capital Ctesifonte. Here the noble waited the arrival of the sovereign sasanide Narseh (293-302 AD), after his victory over Wahram III, to swear their loyalty. Also for this reason, the monument sasanide of Paikuli is very important in this field of research on the history of Iran because of its ancient walls Narseh, ascended to the throne, defeating the nephew Wahram III, wanted was a long inscription engraved in the two main languages of the kingdom, Partian and especially Middle-Persian, in memory of the events of his turbulent political career. The choice of using the walls of a monument in a square, turriforme, built with an outer wall of squared blocks of stone, it seems inspired by emulation as only about forty years earlier had ordered his father Sabuhr I, which in the long inscription on walls of the Achaemenid monument of Naqsh-e Rostam in Fars, had told his own political history and also explained the organization of his kingdom. The place where the monument was built, which today may seem on the fringes of the great lines of communication and thus unrelated to a wider use in practice in antiquity was put on a very busy road that connected the Mesopotamia plain where once stood the Ctesifonte big business with the Iranian and the plateau regions in particular with Azerbaijan, the ancient Atropatene; even in modern times, until the completion of a new road that follows the upper course of Diyala (Aw-e Shirwan in Kurdish ), the step of Paikuli was the shorter route that put the communication in the region of Sulaimaniya to Baghdad. The monument also has a highly symbolic value, since dividing the place where Narseh, in bitter confrontation with his nephew Wahram III, was recognized as King of Kings the Department of the Kingdom and thus crowned.

The discovery and epigraphic survey of the site of Paikuli

The story of the discovery and study of the various blocks subscribers is very complex, the first to visit the monument in 1844 was the famous Sir Henry Rawlinson, British consul at the time in Baghdad. During this expedition, he drew a copy blocks of 32 members (22 in partian and 10 in middle-persian), but only with great German archaeologist Ernst Herzfeld were taken real campaign for the survey site Paikuli. During the first two missions took place in 1911 and 1913, Herzfeld brings to light 97 subscribers blocks (55 in partian and 45 in middle-persian), to which must be added three blocks designed by Rawlinson, but not identified by Herzfeld. It is this collection of 100 blocks form the material upon which the first philological edition of including the inscription of Narseh, appeared in two volumes of the publication entitled Paikuli Monument and Inscription of the Early History of the Sasanian Empire, 1924.
The last visit to Paikuli Herzfeld was in 1923, emerged from this digging further 30 blocks entered the German archaeologist, however, did not have time to include in its publication, the new epigraphic material consisted of 20 blocks in partic and 10 in mid-persian. Furthermore, in particular, being a block already accessible through the drawings of Rawlinson, we came to a total of 129 blocks are known. In his Reisebericht, published in 1926, Herzfeld gives an account of his third expedition to Paikuli, but only briefly mentions the new epigraphic discoveries that were unheard of until the more recent philological reconstruction of inclusion implemented by Humbach and Skjaervø (1979-1983). Even the inclusion of the latter edition Paikuli, by far the most complete and accurate analysis on philological, experienced a very long history, the starting point was the trip of Volker Popp to Paikuli, begun in 1971, in which you were able to identify only 63 blocks enrolled (37 in partian and 26 in middle-persian). The authors were thus forced to rely primarily on photographs and casts made by Herzfeld and held after his death, in the archives of the Freer Gallery of Art in Washington DC. By combining the existing epigraphic material (Rawlinson drawings, photographs and casts preserved in the Herzfeld) and supplementing it with new photos taken by Popp, we succeeded for the first time to collate and edit together all the 129 blocks are known. Although the overall consistency of the two original entries has been estimated at around 230-240 blocks, many of the various gaps were filled through a synoptic reading of the two versions twin thereby significantly advancing the understanding of this important historical document.

Annotations epigraphic and philological

The middle-Persian, which in the reconstruction of Herzfeld occupied the western wall of the monument is composed of eight rows of block members (numbered A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H) containing a total of 46 lines while the inclusion particular post on the eastern side consists of seven rows of blocks (numbered a, b, c, d, e, f, g,) with a total of 42 lines. No row of blocks is now complete and the approximate total number of blocks to be recorded around 230-240, while it was calculated that the length of the text should be around 940 cm (Humbach-Skjaervø 1979-1983). In both versions of each row can have a variable number of lines entered as the next standard type, present in BCDE and abcde where six lines of text covering the entire surface of the block, it is assigned various exceptions, due to both the conformation morphology of the monument is the position within the row of inclusion: A, contains 5 lines, F, 5 lines over a white line, f, lines, plus a white, eg G, seven lines, five lines H and two white. Even at first glance it may be noted that the text has been carved with great care and attention to detail, whether the letters that the words are, in fact, evenly divided, presenting regular shape and size. What is most striking is undoubtedly the fact that the text has been engraved in stone, taking into account the prospect that we had from the ground. For this reason, the font size decreases going down, so, for example, if the file highest A / submit a letter ranging from 60 to 50 mm in height, the back rows, the H / g, containing characters measured from 40 to 30 mm.
Both the middle-Persian that particular Iranian languages are two of the average period, which covers a period that goes from the IV / III century BC X to AD, the first branch is due to the South Western dialect of this language family and the second to the north west. Both played a major role in the history of civilization since the iranian particular was the main language of the kingdom and the Arsacid dynasty, while the middle-Persian, with the rise of sasanid sovereign, assumes its role as the official language of state and church. Likewise is the particular that the medium-Persian adopted two graphics systems derivatives by the Aramaic, which are very similar. The influence exercised as Aramaic koine of the vast Achaemenid empire led the development of writing systems of different languages of Iran, which not only is based on that, but also held, throughout their long evolution, a strong ideographic connotation linked to their origin. Both the middle-Persian that the particular fact, have developed a writing system that provides for the Joint coexistence of terms with other transcribed phonetically expressed in ideographic or through eterogrammi written in Aramaic but still read and received in their respective languages Iran; with time because these words were written in Aramaic became mere graphic symbols that were added phonetic complements that used to denote their syntactic function in different Iranian languages. The ductus of the middle-Persian monuments, which were transcribed by the great inscriptions of kings sasanidi, consists of 21 signs and the opposite of italics later still no ligatures, while maintaining the division of individual signs, in addition the graphics system is not yet monumental affected by the phenomenon of homographs that characterize the phase cursive instead of the middle-Persian and imply that the yield of different phonemes through a single sign. This particular alphabet is made up of 22 signs.

The historical context of the inscription of Paikuli

The inscription of Paikuli celebrates the events that led the ascent to the throne of Narseh after a dynastic struggle that saw two opposing political factions, one in favor of King of Wahrām Saci and one that supported Narseh.
This contention was generated by the following process sequence directed: by the great sasanide ruler Šābuhr, the second of his dynasty, succeeded two of his sons, but both reigned for a very limited period, the first Ohrmazd I from 272 to 273 AD, while the second Wahrām I ruled from 273 to 276. Was the longest reign of the son of the latter, Wahrām II, which lasted from 276 to 293. On the death of Wahrām II dignitaries of the kingdom offered the crown to Narseh, one of the sons of Šābuhr that time I held the office of King of Armenia, ranking second only to the king of kings of Iran, instead of legitimizing the child Wahrām II of that until the death of his father was a member of Sagānšāh (King of Saci). At the end of the fight against the new sovereign power Narseh who built the monument Paikuli celebration of the place where he had met the "Great" in the kingdom who had lined against Wahrām King of Saci and its acolytes, the main function of the tower and the commemorative its inclusion was to establish the legitimacy to the throne of the Iranian party Narseh. In context, the story seems written in direct speech, which also has a grammatical explanation as Iranian languages prefer to avoid the use of indirect speech, here is also a symbolic meaning designed to evoke a more vivid the words of the sovereign same. The list of dignitaries who shall be sworn and Narseh recognized as the legitimate King of Kings, offers an essential historical document on the territorial and administrative subdivision of the kingdom, the various political offices and the relationship that exists between them within the imperial structure.

The Mithraism and its spread in the Roman Empire

The decision to undertake training in archaeological field survey of three mitrei of ancient Ostia, wanted to symbolically represent the strong spirit of cooperation and friendship between the two teams, Italian and Kurdish, expressed precisely through the study of places of worship of mithraica religion, cultural bridge between east and west. The Mithraism, in fact, as a syncretistic religion, has been able to absorb and process, various elements belonging to the civilization of the East and the ancient Mediterranean, giving rise to religious expression that he met a wide original membership within the confines of the Roman empire and that could compete for a limited period, with nascent Christianity.
Remote origin of Indo-Iranian, the first proof of the deity known as Mithra dating from the middle of the second millennium BC, when a peace treaty sealed between the Hittite kingdom and the Mitanni, the name of God as the guarantor of the pact . A Mithra also devoted some verses of the oldest texts of both the Zoroastrian religion (Yast 10) in Iran, which the Vedic (Rig Veda 3.59) in India. In these first certificates Iranian divinity appears as the guarantor of the agreements and contracts, a friend of the man who respects the order established by the gods, Mithra is also the protector of pastures and has some character of a warrior who in the course of centuries will of increasing importance. At its formation, in addition, are closely related phenomena associated with the bright sun, such as the first rays of dawn. During its long evolution this divinity incorporated various elements from many different regions with which the Iranian people were in contact, in particular, with the birth of the vast Achaemenid empire, the figure of Mithras had the opportunity to confront the old religious traditions of the Near East peculiar absorbing characteristics. Fundamental was the influence that the religious system of the Mesopotamian gods played on Iran, as well as in second degree, religions and those of the Anatolian-Syrian Palestinian group. The origins of Mithraism, however genuine, as a religious phenomenon that is widespread in late antiquity in the Roman Empire, remains very unclear, we know that, especially in Anatolia, were widespread in Hellenistic cults related to this deity, but there beyond what has been the shift for which Mithraism had become one of the most important phenomena of the complex religious landscape of Rome. When beginning to spread in the empire, the Mithraism was already fully formed and organized and, although strongly Hellenistic, this cult was still significant characteristics that indicate the origin of Iran from the name of god to the clothes with which it is always represented in iconography classical Persian such as trousers and Phrygian cap, or some of the mythological themes. The conquests of Rome in the East and the ongoing displacement of the legions in various provinces of the border meant that Mithraism was spread by capillarity between the ranks of the army and consequently in the whole empire. For the reason that it strongly rooted in powertrain military, the cult of Mithras, experienced great success in the regions where they were allocated legions to guard the borders, for example in the Danube, Rhine, in Britain, Africa and of course in the centre of the Empire, in Rome and Ostia port of the capital, in these places were discovered most mitreo, funerary inscriptions, the sarcophagi, etc.. Often ingratiate themselves emperors for the favour and support of the army or joined honoured the mysteries of Mithras, who was so adored by the soldiers just as the most senior officers. As one character from the mystery religion, Mithraism is the now known mainly through archaeological evidence, while there are few written sources that describe him, but from all the elements that emerge as ever during the third century Mithraism was so close to possibility of converting the West Greek-Latin. Often identified with Sol Invictus, Mithras experienced the greatest success in a period when almost all the emperors were acclaimed by the legions and came from the same ranks of the army. What probably caused the decline in the fourth and fifth centuries Christianity and affirmation of the final, it was the mystery, initiation, sectarian, in the well Mithraism did not allow the participation of women in worship, all this had the consequence of prevent a wide spread of mass.

Under the joint mission, which saw the presence in Italy of eight representatives of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Autonomous Region of Kurdistan, Gianfilippo Terribili proposed a training course through a series of lectures focusing on issues that have characterized the development historical-cultural civilization of Iran in a broader sense of the term. More specifically the analysis was first addressed on the historical evidence that have affected the chain of Zagros Mountains during the first half of the first century BC C., a premise that was followed by a series of lectures that he had intended to outline the characteristics of the kingship of Iran through the symbolism and ideology, expressed in a monumental iconographic language persistent over time. It is in this attempt to identify those common elements, belonging to the three great Iranian dynasties (Achaemenid, Arsacid, Sasanid), which was a royal foundation of ideology and who have remained alive and continued over the centuries, the tradition associated to the iranian image of the sovereign. In the second round of lessons, however, it was suggested the analysis of historical and religious Mithraism, syncretistic phenomenon among Iranian world and Western thought, by analyzing its eastern origin, its spread in the Roman Empire in late antiquity, the cult, mythology, the socio-cultural landscape, it is focused, in particular, the emphasis on symbolism and iconography in this space devoted to the mithraic cult. This issue has proved very fruitful and training as members of the Iraqi team were at the same time, under the guidance of Dr. B. Faticoni involved in the excavation of archaeological Mitreo delle sette porte of ancient Ostia. Prof. C. G. Cereti has taken an introductory course to Iranian linguistics and philology, which together with developments that have marked the evolution of Iranian languages, the interest is focused on the period known as the linguistic medium-Iranian stage to which the two languages ( middle Persian and pertian) with which they are composed of the two versions of the entry for Paikuli. Through textual analysis have outlined the main grammatical, syntactic and lexical futures of Middle-Persian, which from the third to seventh century AD was the official language of the sasanide kingdom.