THE MIDDLE PERSIAN AND PARTHIAN INSCRIPTIONS ON THE PAIKULI TOWER. NEW BLOCKS AND PRELIMINARY STUDIES

The Pailli inscription celebrates the victory of the Sasanian Emperor Narseh (293 - 3023 AD) over his nephew, Wahram III, in the dynastic war which followed the death of Wahram II. It was built on the spot where Narseh met the nobles and notables of the Sasanian Empire, who had come to the border of AsOrestdn to pay him allegiance. The text is almost identical in its two versions and can be divided in two main parts, the first describing the events of the dynastic war, the second containing a long list of nobles and notables who sided with Narseh. The remains of the tower rise in a beautiful Zagros valley on top of a small hill overlooking the modern village of Barkal at the foot of the PikUlI pass, not far from the town of Darband-i Khan. Narseh's inscription is one of the most important surviving primary sources for the history of the Sasanian dynasty, its fragmentary state of preservation. From 2006 onwards an Italian team has been investigating the monument, leading extensive surveys in the valley and studying the materials now kept in the Sulaimaniya Museum, both activities continuing to the present day. This led to the identification of a total of 19 new inscribed blocks (11 MP and 8 Pth.), which are presented in this article.