Page:History of Early Iran.pdf/8

viii languages—Old Persian, Babylonian, and Elamite—the first step was the preparation of a concordance of Old Persian words. Through an intimate knowledge of this language and by a comparison with the Akkadian, late Elamite could be made intelligible. Next followed the compilation of an Elamite dictionary which included every published text. Finally, the pertinent data from the Land of the Two Rivers were scrutinized for information, previously overlooked or disregarded, which might illuminate the picture.

The writer cannot claim full satisfaction with the results obtained. Until recent years there have been few excavations in Iran, and the scarcity of archeological investigations has greatly hampered historical understanding. The researches undertaken in the tell of Susa in Elam have been remarkably productive, and there is little question but that other and even more attractive sites on the plateau will add materially to our knowledge. Until archeology has assumed a larger share of the burden, much of the history of greater Iran must lie buried in the tells and ruined city-mounds which dot the country. It is, however, safe to say that future investigations will and must be fitted into the historical picture to the degree that they tie their results into the history of Elam. The chronology of Elamite history is now, we may assume, assured within close limits, and will provide a solid foundation for all subsequent history of the plateau, until the first millennium