Searching for the Evergetáes: Identifying the Actual Achaemenian Settlemets in Sistan

Based on the historical texts from the Achaemenian Empire, there have been tribes living in Sistan known as Drangiana or Zaranka. According to the texts these tribes assisted Cyrus by sending food and since then they were called Givers (assisters). Archaeological studies in Sistan introduced some places such as (Dahaneh-ye Qolaman (the Slaves’ Valley) and Surkh Dagh) to be as the settlement site of Evergetáe but there have been no reliable evidence for such suggestions. By conducting an archaeological study in Sistan we tried to locate several new Achaemenian areas, by which we explored new data which enable us to identify the actual location of Evergetáes. In this research comparison made on the characteristics of Evergetáes as mentioned in the written sources on one hand and archaeological specifications of the sites across the different parts of Sistan on the other hand we suggest an alternative location for the Achaemenian Evergetáe in the Sistan plain.