http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/cultural/oldworld/middle_east/ancientpersia.html
It talks about before the Neolithic Period, the first communities in ancient Persia. The Persians domesticated animals and planted crops, like wheat and barely. There are many hand painted pottery of artifacts that found in many ancient Persian archeological sites. Persians was a really big and powerful empire, it ruled many other empires. Like Mesopotamia, Egypt, Syria, and some parts of Asia Minor and India. Around 520B.C., Darius I became the king of Persia, he made Persepolis the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenian Empire. Persepolis was developed more by other kings, and most of the credit was given to Darius I. Darius I also developed a government, including a tax collecting system, allowed locals to keep their own customs and religions and had its own system of roads. Furthermore, the new government also appointed the Persian Empire with two official capitals, one at Susa and one at Persepolis. Unfortunately, Alexander the Great conquered Persia in 331 BC, and the great palace of Persepolis was burnt to the ground.
I found another webpage:
It talks about the Persian Empire was founded in around 550 BC by Cyrus II, called Cyrus the Great. Cyrus founded the empire by conquering the Median kingdom, bringing together two powerful ancient peoples: the Medes and the Persians. He built capital cities at Pasargadae and Persepolis, and continued conquering new territory until his death in 530 B.C.
His empire lasted for 200 years, encompassing diverse peoples and reaching its greatest extent under Darius I. defeated King Croesus of Lydia, in modern Turkey, in 546 BC and capturing Babylon in modern Iraq in 539 BC.
I also found a picture in this website. It is the tomb of Cyrus at Pasargadae. It is rather big, and in the cuture of many ancient countries, the tombs of kings are huge. I think it consume much manpower, although it isn't bigger than pyramids in Egypt.