Archaeologists have discovered an ancient Zoroastrian burial inscription near the historic city of Estakhr in southern Iran. The inscription dates to the late Sasanian period and appears to be linked to Zoroastrian funeral traditions. Researchers found the inscription inside a carved frame north of Estakhr, in the Marvdasht plain of Fars province. It uses Pahlavi script, a writing system widely used during the Sasanian Empire, which ruled Iran from the third to the seventh century.
Archaeologist Abolhassan Atabaki said the inscription likely belonged to a Zoroastrian burial site. Iranian news outlet Jamaran reported his findings in September.
Zoroastrian beliefs shaped ancient burial practices
Atabaki explained that burial traditions changed as Zoroastrianism spread through ancient Persia. Many communities moved away from burying their dead in the ground. Instead, they used elevated locations and mountainous areas. These changes reflected religious beliefs about death and the afterlife.
According to Atabaki, Zoroastrians associated the underground world with darkness and evil. They also believed dead bodies could contaminate sacred natural elements, including soil, plants, and water. Their funeral practices aimed to protect these elements while allowing the soul to move toward light.
Archaeologists have discovered an ancient Zoroastrian burial inscription in southern Iran, dating to the Sasanian Empire. The find sheds light on unusual funeral rituals, including the exposure of bodies to sunlight and birds of prey. pic.twitter.com/Nzw27aV2id
— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) October 12, 2026
As part of these traditions, communities placed bodies in elevated locations where they were exposed to sunlight. Religious ceremonies accompanied the process, including a ritual known as “khorshid-negahreshni.”
Birds of prey and other scavengers removed the flesh from the bodies. The remaining bones were then collected and placed in designated locations among rocks and cliffs, Atabaki said. Similar burial traditions have been documented elsewhere in the ancient Iranian world. Archaeologists recently discovered a Zoroastrian fire altar and decorated ossuary in Uzbekistan.
Marvdasht holds dozens of Sasanian inscriptions
History expert Najmeh Ebrahimi said burial practices varied across Sasanian society. A person’s wealth and social standing often influenced the type of burial. These methods included rock-cut graves, stone mounds, burial towers, jar burials, and stone containers used to hold human remains. Some communities also used smaller funerary structures known as “dakhmaks,” a term found in Sasanian inscriptions.
Ebrahimi highlighted the archaeological importance of the Marvdasht plain. She said researchers have discovered and examined more than 50 Sasanian inscriptions in the region. The area has produced other important discoveries, including an ancient Sasanian inscription about loyalty and betrayal reported in 2025.
According to Ebrahimi, the plain contains the largest known concentration of Sasanian inscriptions and funerary texts from that period. The latest discovery adds to the evidence of Zoroastrian burial traditions in ancient Iran. Further study could help researchers better understand funeral practices during the final centuries of the Sasanian Empire.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
