A Clarification of the Terms Dakhma and Astodān on the Basis of Literary Records and Archeological Research in Fars Province

IF 0.2 0 HUMANITIES, MULTIDISCIPLINARY
Mojtaba Doroodi, F. Hajiani
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The terms dakhma (open-air tomb) and astodān (ossuary) are often used interchangeably despite the fact that they refer to two distinct structures with different meanings in pre-Islamic Iranian burial practices. The present study explores the differences between the two structures, along with burial-related terms used by ancient Persians, by examining ancient and medieval Iranian manuscripts and by conducting a field study of surviving artifacts from ancient times. The results show that dakhma (or dakhmagāh) was a general term referring to the entire burial site and its constituent elements—as opposed to the specific astodān. Both of these structures should be differentiated from small hollowed ledges on the edges or surfaces of mountains, which were engraved as late as the early Islamic period (seventh to ninth centuries), even though the terms dakhma and astodān appear in their inscriptions. Although the latter have led some scholars to conflate the terms, the present study finds that these small stone structures and hollows are neither dakhma nor astodān, but rather served as a symbolic memorial to the departed. Furthermore, other burial-related structures in the environs of the dakhma, including mortar-shaped hollowed stones (sang-ābs) and cascade-like stone grooves (called sor-sor-e hāy-e sangi), which have received scant attention, can be traced back to Zoroastrian rituals in Avestan texts and point to the presence of a dakhma. Finally, the present field study, which explored ancient burial sites in the Marvdasht plain in Fars Province, includes unique information and details that are presented here for the first time.
从法尔斯省的文献记载和考古研究看达赫玛和阿斯托丹
dakhma(露天墓)和astodān(骨库)这两个术语经常互换使用,尽管它们指的是前伊斯兰时代伊朗埋葬实践中具有不同含义的两个不同结构。本研究通过检查古代和中世纪伊朗手稿以及对古代幸存文物进行实地研究,探讨了这两种结构之间的差异,以及古波斯人使用的与埋葬相关的术语。结果表明,dakhma(或dakhmagāh)是一个泛指整个埋葬地点及其组成元素的术语,而不是特定的astodān。这两种结构都应该与山脉边缘或表面的小型空心壁架区分开来,这些壁架早在伊斯兰时期早期(七至九世纪)就被雕刻出来,尽管它们的铭文中出现了dakhma和astodān这两个术语。尽管后者导致一些学者将这些术语混为一谈,但本研究发现,这些小型石头结构和洞穴既不是dakhma也不是astodān,而是作为对逝者的象征性纪念。此外,达克马周围的其他与埋葬有关的结构,包括砂浆形状的空心石(sang-ābs)和级联状的石槽(称为sor-sor-e hāy-e sangi),这些结构很少受到关注,可以追溯到阿维斯坦文本中的琐罗亚斯德教仪式,并指出达克马的存在。最后,本次实地研究探索了法尔斯省马尔夫达什特平原的古代墓葬遗址,其中包括首次在这里提供的独特信息和细节。
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来源期刊
Journal of Persianate Studies
Journal of Persianate Studies HUMANITIES, MULTIDISCIPLINARY-
CiteScore
0.70
自引率
0.00%
发文量
16
期刊介绍: Publication of the Association for the Study of Persianate Societies. The journal publishes articles on the culture and civilization of the geographical area where Persian has historically been the dominant language or a major cultural force, encompassing Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan, as well as the Caucasus, Central Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, and parts of the former Ottoman Empire. Its focus on the linguistic, cultural and historical role and influence of Persian culture and Iranian civilization in this area is based on a recognition that knowledge flows from pre-existing facts but is also constructed and thus helps shape the present reality of the Persianate world.
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