Sasanian Burial Practice Indicates Special Status for Women

Interesting - CAIS NEWS © Latest Archaeological and Cultural News of Iran and the Iranian World Discovery of a New Sasanian Burial Method in Pahlauj 21 September 2008 LONDON, (CAIS) -- An anthropologist said that the nails around the ancient Pahluj skeletons imply an unknown style of burial carried out for females during the late Sasanian or early post-Sasanian era (650-851 CE). “We face an unknown style of burial, in which nails have been located upside down on the earth, maybe in order to hold a sheet of wood above the bodies in the graves,” Farzad Foruzanfar told the Persian service of CHN on Saturday. “The bodies have not been buried in coffins because no remains of wood have been found under the skeletons. However we have found a brown powder of wood on some of the nails’ points,” he added. The graves were discovered during the rescue excavation, which has begun at the site near the village of Mirar-Kola in northern Iran in late August. Pahluj, which is home to several sites dating back from 1000 BCE to 9th century CE, will be completely submerged under water and mud when the Alborz Dam becomes operational. Pahluj is located in the Savadkuh region of Mazandaran Province. “The nails have been used in the females’ burial and they have not been found in the males’ graves. This indicates that females were buried in a unique manner during that period of the times,” Foruzanfar explained. “The nails were located parallel at specific points at the same distances,” he added. Mehdi Abedini, the director of the archaeological team working at the 3000-year-old site had previously said that the bodies were buried with nails beside their knees and beside their left shoulders, and bunch of nails over and under their heads and feet. “The existence of bunch of the nails over and under the bodies’ heads and feet is very strange indeed and we have no explanation for them yet,” Foruzanfar said. The archaeologists have also discovered silver spoons, bracelets, and beads made of lapis lazuli at the graves. Due to the discoveries, experts believe that women enjoyed a special status during the late Sasanian, early post-Sasanian period in the region.

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These burials are well within the historical period, and yet there evidently is no written record of this particular burial practice and its meaning! Will it ever be known? Here is an initial report of the discovery on September 10, 2008 from the Fars News Agency: Pre-Islamic Necropolis Found in Northern Iran TEHRAN (FNA)- Archeologists have discovered a burial ground and a unique burial ritual dating back to Sassanid and post-Islamic eras in northern Iran. Recent excavations in the northern province of Mazandaran uncovered a burial ground, and brought to light a unique burial ritual. Nails were discovered around the ancient bodies, but archeologists say that these did not come from any coffin. The nails were found in a deliberate pattern. One nail was found beside the knee, one beside the left shoulder, some on top of the head and a few others under the feet, CHN reported. The specific practice has not been observed in any other historical study. Archeologists therefore believe the discovery of the burial ground could be of great importance. The graves all belong to young people and children, and the nail patterns have turned into a puzzle which archeologists are keen to try and solve. Silver spoons and bracelets, as well as turquoise beads were found near graves. Further studies of the burial site and the relics are expected to reveal more clues as to the meaning behind the nails, and the identities of those buried.