The Paikuli Monument in Its Territory

The first part of our work will focus on the position of the monument of Paikuli in its geographical context, with specific attention to the routes that connect the narrow valley crossed by the Çeme Qûłe torrent with the intermontane plain of Shahrazur/Syārazūr to the north-east and with the great Mesopotamian plains to the south-west. Considering the alignment of the mountain passes of the double Qaradagh chain, it is likely that Narseh started from the area of Yasin Tepe, reaching first Paikuli, then the region where Kifri stands today. The second part of the paper will present the activities carried out on the site of the Paikuli Tower during the last campaigns of the archaeological research. The final results will be presented both with regard to the research and collection of the inscribed blocks found not only in the vicinity of the tower but on the entire hill and beyond, and the results of the archaeological investigations carried out over the years in the immediate vicinity of the architectural structure.