Based on a series of lectures given at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London in 1997, this book is a survey of the art and archeology of the Sasanian Near East from the 3rd to the 7th century A.D. Drawing upon the examination of a variety of artifacts and monuments from different perspectives, Dr. Harper presents the reader with an understanding of the rich and varied nature of Sasanian culture and society in the period immediately before the advent of Islam and the Arab conquests of Near Eastern lands.