Imperial Matter: Ancient Persia and the Archaeology of Empires

by Lori Khatchadourian

A free ebook version of this title is available through Luminos, University of California Press’s new open access publishing program. Visit www.luminosoa.org to learn more. What is the role of the material world in shaping the tensions and paradoxes of imperial sovereignty? Scholars have long shed light on the complex processes of conquest, extraction, and colonialism under imperial rule. But imperialism has usually been cast as an exclusively human drama, one in which the world of matter does not play an active role. Lori Khatchadourian argues instead that things—from everyday objects to monumental buildings—profoundly shape social and political life under empire. Out of the archaeology of ancient Persia and the South Caucasus, Imperial Matter advances powerful new analytical approaches to the study of imperialism writ large and should be read by scholars working on empire across the humanities and social sciences.

Genres: History, Archaeology, Nonfiction

481 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 22, 2016

Reviews

[Marc Lamot · Rating 2 out of 5]

Impressive, but very specialized study of the specific way in which power was exercised in the vast Persian Empire (c. 550-330 bce). The author focuses on the material manifestations of Persian culture: the form of columned halls, silverware, ceramics and vessels, more particularly in the northern regions (Armenia and surroundings). Her approach is quite interesting, but very theoretically loaded, and at crucial points also very speculative. Rating 2.5 stars. More in my History account on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....

[Sense of History]

The Persian Empire (c. 550-330 BCE) was regarded by the ancient Greeks as despotic, tyrannical and barbaric. And through them this derogatory view also filtered through to Western historiography in general. Only in recent decades a rehabilitation movement emerged that highlights the uniqueness and merit of the Persians, and also adds much more nuance. Lori Khatchadourian (°1975, Cornell University) tries in her own way to soften the authoritarian reputation of the Achaemenid dynasty. Her argument is that, certainly in an early phase, Persian rule left room for local political participation. In the northern areas (in and around present-day Armenia), the tradition of participatory rule would have been respected. She deduces this mainly from the typical columned halls that allowed much more interaction on an equal footing (an architectural element that would later - under Islam - reappear in the mosques). Khatchadourian goes into this in great depth, with astonishing expertise. But I find her view very speculative, and based on a geographically and culturally limited area. She herself has to admit that after that early phase, the participatory aspect apparently disappeared again in Persian architecture.
This is a very theoretical study, in which many abstract interpretation models are used, specifically the theory that material manifestations of a culture can also be used to illustrate political relations. The latter cannot be denied, of course, but it remains risky to examine a very limited documented area with modern theoretical models. Although I'm not convinced, this really is an impressive study.

[Alexander Jolley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Addressing the resurrected term “Satrap,” an ancient Persian political entity, in recent political discourse, Khatchadourian connects the Achaemenid Persian Empire (550-330 BC) with modern economic imperialism by examining how imperial powers, both ancient and modern, have interacted with and been influenced by “things.” Imperial Matter makes a valuable contribution to the discussion on both the Achaemenid Empire and the relationship between materiality, empire expansion, and imperial maintenance. Khatchadourian analyzes the role of material culture in the functioning of the Achaemenid Empire with special consideration given to the Tsaghkahovit archeological site in Armenia, but applies the theory more broadly to any empire throughout history. The book is divided into two parts, with Part One, consisting of three chapters, focusing primarily on expanding upon the theory of object influence, providing general summaries of current discussions around the role of materiality, and discussing how these concepts can be applied. Part Two in the book focuses on applying these theories to real-world models and archaeological sites in modern-day Iran and Turkey.
Positioning herself within recent scholarship on theoretical materiality, as discussed by Bruno Latour and Ian Hodder, Khatchadourian argues that objects are agents in human social and political practices, shaping the decisions humans make. Although she is clear to make the distinction that things and objects do not possess intention themselves, humans still have will and the capacity for decision-making. This theory of objects can best be understood as objects creating particular interactions with humans and the state. Khatchadourian hopes to argue for the value of exploring proto-religious thought and the material world of the Achaemenid Persian Empire, so that it can be applied more broadly to European empires during the colonial era and the economic empires of today. Using recent examples contemporary to the book’s publishing date of 2016, including Russia’s annexation of Crimea with unmarked soldiers and ISIS’s takeover and destruction of archaeological artifacts, Khatchadourian demonstrates the role that object materiality played in those events, adding resonance and relatability.
Theories of materiality and its relationship to imperialism, Khatchadourian identifies four categories of “imperial matter.” Delegates, proxies, captives, and affiliates. Delegates promote the imperial project while entrapping it in continued support of its own materiality. This term is applied to the grand palaces, equating the building as a form of PR for the empire more broadly. Proxies, similar to delegates, create their own relationships of power. Captives are copied objects taken from communities in the empire to serve the imperial crown. Khatchadourian also points out how empires frequently adopt what they seek to suppress. Lastly, affiliates are everything else. These categories of things can often be used interchangeably, morphed into one another, and crossed with each other as human politics demand.
Khatchadourian focuses much of the discussion on theoretical concepts around what she coins as the “satrapal condition,” described in chapter one as a way to understand imperial sovereignty as fragile and co-created by humans and material things. The term, in recent years has seen a resurgence in political commentary, but is etymologically traced back to the Achaemenid Persian Empire, demonstrating how far removed influences in history can have long arms into the future. The term situates the Achaemenid Empire within the physical world, rather than as a divine force or despotic colonizing power. The empire was elevated by practical means situated in the physical realities of the world. An example in the book is how the remote and rugged terrain of the Caucasus necessitated a certain “hands-off” approach to successfully integrate the Mountain peoples into the empire. The Susa Charters of Chapter 4 apply the concept of material delegates by examining the grand structures and palaces of the capital, which brought in objects and materials from all corners of the empire, serving as a symbolic representation of unity and political power. Khatchadourian argues that this paradoxically made the capital dependent on these objects, costing its autonomy.
Khatchadourian utilizes a wide range of secondary sources and scholars, particularly in the context of terminology. Khatchadourian often quotes from James Scott to help explain and address certain theoretical concepts. However, the most impactful sources used in the book are the author's work in the excavations of the Tsaghkahovit archeological complex in Armenia. The final two chapters are from the Caucasian context, with Armenian archaeological evidence making up the bulk of Khatchadourian’s examples. Coupled with the theoretical, this makes this work particularly interdisciplinary, combining rhetoric, archeology, linguistics, materiality, and history. It is a highly persuasive model that casts a wide net, making it useful to a diverse range of scholars and researchers.
The work is very readable, and the author takes great care to aid the reader by outlining each chapter up front, so that the reader can approach it in ways that are useful to them. The decision to separate the theory from its practical application is a great way to prepare the reader and create maximum clarity. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of the work, scholars from a wide range of disciplines, including, ironically enough, studies on modern states and statecraft, can benefit from it. Despite the successful framework, Imperial Matter shares the same drawbacks as other theories on materiality: rhetorical simplicity. Framing objects as having agency is a linguistic barrier that requires a certain level of suspension of disbelief for understanding. Scholars who do not deal in the theoretical may take issue with certain uses of words, including “agency.” They could rightly point out that things only have the purpose and “agency” that humans give to them directly. For this reason, Khatchadourian is right to spend time distancing the concepts from human application and clarifying the differences.
Overall, Khatchadourian’s arguments that imperial empires are defined by the material and geographic world around them are a valuable scholarly contribution to the culmination of the past 20 years of object-oriented ontology and materiality. This appropriate application of theories we have been learning about in class provides clear insight into a concept that did not come easily to me. It provides a valuable example of how the theory can be applied to my own study in book history, a field in which these theories appear particularly well-suited. I suspect that Imperial Matter’s interdisciplinary nature and relevance to modern events will give this work a healthy historiographical lifespan.