Anahit Perikhanian facts for kids
Anahit Georgievna Perikhanian (born April 24, 1928 – died May 27, 2012) was an important Armenian scholar. She was an Iranologist, which means she studied the history, languages, and cultures of ancient and medieval Iran. Perikhanian was especially good at understanding the laws, history, and society of the Sasanian Empire.
Besides her work on Iran, she was also very interested in old writings found in Asia Minor and the Middle East. She studied Middle Iranian languages and the Armenian language. She spent a lot of time researching Armenian words and their origins, especially how words from Iranian languages came into Armenian. She also helped us understand Aramaic writings found in Armenia.
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About Anahit Perikhanian
Early Life and Education
Anahit Perikhanian was born in Moscow on April 24, 1928. Her parents were Georg and Arusyak Perikhanian. She went to school in Moscow. Later, she continued her studies in Armenia.
From 1945 to 1948, she studied Middle Persian (also called Pahlavi) at Yerevan State University. She learned from a teacher named Rouben Abrahamian. After that, she moved to Leningrad (which is now Saint Petersburg). She finished her advanced studies at Saint Petersburg State University in 1951.
Her Career and Discoveries
Perikhanian published her first article in 1952. From 1953 to 1955, she continued her studies with Kamilla Trever. From 1956 to 1959, she worked at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences. This institute had branches in Moscow and Leningrad.
She started as a research fellow. Later, she became a senior research associate in 1974. By 1986, she was a leading research associate in the Ancient Near Eastern studies department. She also helped read many old Pahlavi papyri. These were ancient documents made from plants, found at the Pushkin Museum.
Perikhanian also studied with Igor M. Diakonoff. She did important research on a book called Mādagān ī hazār dādestān. This book was about Sasanian law. She published her research in Leningrad as part of her doctoral work. Her work was highly praised by other scholars. It made her well-known in the academic world.
About 24 years later, Nina Garsoïan edited Perikhanian's original work. She also translated it into English. Another Iranologist, Alireza Shapour Shahbazi, said that Perikhanian's work was "very important for all students of Iranian studies." In 1995, Perikhanian gave several talks about Sasanian law and property. She gave these talks at Columbia University's Center for Iranian Studies. She retired from her work in 1998.
Other Research Interests
Besides her main work on ancient and medieval Iran, Perikhanian was also interested in old writings. She studied inscriptions from Asia Minor and the Middle East. She also researched Middle Iranian languages and the Armenian language.
She spent a lot of time studying Armenian words and their history. She looked at how words from Iranian languages entered the Armenian language. She also helped us understand Aramaic inscriptions found in Armenia.
Later Studies and Legacy
In her last published article, Perikhanian researched the Paulicians. This was a Christian group. Perikhanian believed that the Paulicians came from Iranian Christians. She noted that they became very active in Armenia and the eastern parts of the Byzantine Empire.
Perikhanian also suggested that the word "Paulician" came from old Iranian words. These words were Middle Persian and Parthian pāvlīk. This means "a follower of the apostle Paul." From 2001 to 2002, Perikhanian gave several talks on Classical Armenian. She gave these at Saint Petersburg State University.
Anahit Perikhanian passed away in Saint Petersburg on May 27, 2012.
