The Persian Empire was destroyed after the invasion of Alexander the Great in 330 BC. However, after barely a century, power returned to the Persians: first the Parthian dynasty, then the Sasanians. Although the Achaemenids were largely forgotten during the subsequent Islamic period, European rediscovery during the seventeeth century led to renewed interest, excavations and decipherment of the ancient Persian script. Achaemenid objects such as the Cyrus Cylinder form an important part of Iranian cultural identity today.