ABSTRACT
The historical panorama stretching from the seal of Kuras of Anzan to the use of Elamite at Achaemenid Qandahar leaves no doubt as to the internalisation of bureaucratic and administrative traditions by the Persians. The evidence on Elamite elements in Persian religion allows for a similar vision: not one of 'tolerated' yet essentially foreign cults but of inherited traditions that were meaningfully adopted and adapted. Kurangun and the water-rich gorges of Kul-e Farah and Sekaft-e Salman are captivating examples of the Elamite tradition, but they are also of direct relevance here as they are all situated in what would become the Persian heartland. Yet sip, both as a term and as a religious phenomenon, also connects to an Elamite past. Although transformed in the Persian context and adapted to the needs of Achaemenid society, sip clearly has to be studied with due attention to the Elamite past.
