What evidence shows that the Medes developed architectural forms before the Achaemenian Empire?

Evidence that the Medes developed architectural forms prior to the Achaemenian Empire is primarily supported by archaeological findings in northwestern Iran, which was the center of Median rule during the 8th century BCE.1

The most significant confirmation of this development is the discovery of a magnificent brick fortress at Nush-e Jan. Furthermore, architectural research indicates that the tradition of the columned hall—a hallmark of later Achaemenian design—was not an Achaemenian invention but belonged to an established architectural tradition on the Iranian plateau that extended back through the Median period to at least the beginning of the 1st millennium BCE.12

While the Achaemenians later refined these styles into a sophisticated imperial architecture, these earlier Median structures demonstrate that the Persians inherited and built upon a pre-existing, distinctly Iranian architectural foundation.12