CENOTAPHS IN THE BACTRIA MARGIANA ARCHAEOLOGICAL COMPLEX DOMAIN: A CASE STUDY OF NORTHEAST IRAN
Öz
Spanning 2300-1500 BC, the Bactria Margiana Archaeological Complex BMAC was developed with a series of material and spiritual innovations in a vast region today comprising Northeast Iran, South Turkmenistan, North Afghanistan, and parts of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Burial traditions can provide an understanding of the intangible aspects of past societies. In this context, it is witnessed that the rise of the Bactria Margiana culture in Northeast Iran is concomitant with the appearance of a new burial form come to known as cenotaph. The term applies to a series of graves that lack human remains and only contain a group of burial gifts deposited in ritual context to honor the deceased. Since the new mortuary practice is of primary importance in reconstructing the belief and ritual systems of the BMAC populations, the present paper sets to present and discuss the cenotaphs recorded in NE Iran, an attempt which might shed some light on the belief system of these groups. Related burials in the study area come from the two settlement sites of Shahrak-e Firouzeh in Neyshabur and Chalow in Jajarm. The instigation of cenotaphs in the region can be attributed to the dissemination of the BMAC’s beliefs and ideology.
Anahtar Kelimeler
Bactria Margiana Archaeological Complex’s Culture BMAC,Northeast Iran,Cenotaph,Rituals
Kaynakça
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