ABSTRACT

France and Elam (Nicole Chevalier)

In 1897 France created the Délégation scientifique française en Perse in order to implement the archaeological agreement granted in 1895 by Persia. The main objective of its director, Jacques de Morgan, was to find at Susa evidence of the civilization of Elam, unlike Marcel Dieulafoy, who had focused his research on the Achaemenid period. In turn, the successors of Morgan, Roland de Mecquenem, Roman Ghirshman (who would also explore Chogha Zanbil), and finally Jean Perrot, would attempt to resurrect “Persia before the Persians”.