Archaeological Mission in Iran of DiSA
Sapienza University of Rome (SAMIra)

The Italian Archaeological Mission in Iran (SAMIra) of the Department of Ancient World Studies of Sapienza University of Rome was established in 2011 by professor Maria Vittoria Fontana; in 2017, she was succeeded as director by professor Alessandro M. Jaia. SAMIra aims to study Iran’s historical, linguistic and cultural development in periods of transition and political crisis, paying particular attention to the socio-cultural dynamics inherent in the passage between the Sasanian and Islamic periods.

Ever since its inception, SAMIra has been pursuing important researches in the Fars region, known as Pars in historical times. The first activities focused on the archaeological site of Istakhr (2011-2016), and the Firuzabad area (2018), the ancient Ardaxshir-Xwarrah, and were carried out in collaboration with the CNR mission in Iran. In 2017, SAMIra extended its research territory to include the multifaceted archaeological area of Ray, south of Tehran, where professor Carlo G. Cereti launched a study on the mid-Persian ostraka from the Ray-Qaleh-ye Iraj site.

Lastly, the recent two-year agreement signed with the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicraft of I.R. Iran (MCTH) allowed establishing a new research program focused on the Sasanian Media, aimed at understanding a strategic territory that represented, throughout history, a crucial junction between the Iranian plateau and the Mesopotamian plain to the west.

Over the years, numerous Sapienza students took part in the many campaigns on the field, having the opportunity to come into contact with such an extraordinary country and carry out highly professional qualifying experiences.