“Flames Over Persepolis”: New Scientific Evidence Supporting Historical Perspectives

This study investigates the burning of Persepolis Terrace, historically attributed to Alexander III in 330 bce. A review of classical accounts and excavation reports, combined with diagnostic surveys, confirms the fire's historicity and provides novel insights. The Hundred Column Hall exhibits distinctive decay patterns likely caused by high-temperature exposure, with a quicklime layer on the column drums evidencing a calcination process on the limestone surface. Preliminary thermoluminescence analysis supports a heating event during the 4th century bce. The presence of freshwater diatoms may document localized firefighting. Together, these results highlight the value of multidisciplinary approaches and indicate the need for further research to better understand the fire and its aftermath.