Mineralogical–Geochemical Characterization and Provenance of the Stones Used at the Pasargadae Complex in Iran: A New Perspective

Abstract

The stone monuments of Pasargadae (c.550 to 330 bce), Iran, represent a unique example of an advanced construction system that used stones as building materials. This study characterizes the mineralogical and chemical composition of these stones and determines their provenance. Five samples were obtained from buildings at Pasargadae and studied using optical microscopy (OM), X‐ray powder diffraction (QXRD), inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS) and X‐ray fluorescence (XRF). Their chemical and mineralogical composition was determined using the Sr/Fe ratio and the amount of Ce, Dy, Er, Eu, Gd, La, Nd, Pr, Sm, Tb, Tm, Yb and Lu in order to investigate the provenance of the building materials. Seven additional samples were obtained from rock outcrops suspected of being the source of the rock and studied using the same techniques. A statistical principal component analysis (PCA) exhibited correlations between each data set. The data suggest that Abolverdi quarry west of Pasargadae served as the source for the light limestone used in the construction of the buildings, particularly the Tomb of Cyrus the Great. The Ahmad‐Beigi and Sarpaniran outcrops to the north‐east and south‐east are suggested as the sources of the dark limestone. The Sr/Fe ratio and the amount of rare‐earth elements distinguish the samples by means of different geneses.