ABSTRACT Protected by a massive wall, but devoid of permanent buildings in its vast c. 175 ha interior, the rectangular compound of Qaleh Iraj near Tehran must be a military base – and as such, it is arguably the largest fortress in the ancient world to the west of modern Afghanistan. Investigations carried out previously have been based on surface finds and architecture and there had been no agreement on the date and purpose of this monument. Excavation, survey, in-depth studies of its architecture, satellite images and historical sources and the application of scientific dating have now enabled us to precision-date the earliest activity in the south-eastern gateway and the likely construction date of the fortress and to place it in its proper historical context. Sasanian Qaleh Iraj may have played a pivotal role in the northern defensive network of one the Ancient World’s most powerful empires and the fortress sheds significant new light on its military capabilities.

中文翻译：

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西南亚和西方世界最大的古代堡垒？最近在伊朗 Pishva 的 Sasanian Qaleh Iraj 进行的实地考察

摘要 被一堵巨大的墙保护，但在其广阔的 c. 中没有永久性建筑物。内部 175 公顷的 Qaleh Iraj 位于德黑兰附近的长方形大院一定是一个军事基地——因此，它可以说是现代阿富汗西部古代世界最大的堡垒。之前进行的调查是基于地表发现和建筑，关于这座纪念碑的日期和目的没有达成一致。挖掘、调查、对其建筑、卫星图像和历史资料的深入研究以及科学测年的应用，现在使我们能够精确确定东南门户最早的活动和堡垒可能的建造日期，并确定将其置于适当的历史背景中。