Identifying the boundaries of the historical site of Persepolis using remote sensing

Persepolis is one of the well-known world heritage archeological sites dating back to the Achaemenian period (560–330 BC) located on the south–central of Iran. No study among the many has focused on precise recording of the territory of this site. The existence of a guard wall and watchtowers to protect this important centre is still in debate. To deal with this problem, a remote sensing data analysis, photogeology, and field survey are used. Remotely sensed air photos and satellite imagery have been shown to be a valuable tool for the characterization of the archeological landscape and locations of collapsed structure. The result of this study using air photos, ETM+, and TM images is indicative of a wall and watchtowers surrounding Persepolis. This could be subsequently confirmed with geophysical surveying and archaeological excavations.