TEHRAN -- Archaeologists have recently uncovered an important funerary inscription on an ossuary (bone container) dating back to the late Sasanian period in the ancient necropolis of Naqsh-e Rostam, near Marvdasht, Iran. 
This invaluable find offers fresh insights into the burial traditions and religious beliefs of the Sasanians, shedding new light on their views on death and the afterlife.
The newly discovered inscription is written in Middle Persian using the Pahlavi script, horizontally carved on the rock beside the ossuary. 
Although heavily weathered over centuries and difficult to fully decipher, preliminary studies reveal that the text, comprising seven lines, includes the name of the deceased who commissioned the ossuary. This clearly situates the artifact within the late Sasanian era (224–651 CE).
According to Najmeh Ebrahimi, a historian specializing in the Sasanian period, the use of ossuaries was a common funerary practice at that time. In this ritual, bodies were placed on high cliffs or mountaintops so that birds of prey and carnivores could consume the flesh. 
Afterwards, the remaining bones, whitened by exposure to sunlight, were carefully collected and placed into rock-carved cavities — ossuaries — in the cliffs. This practice aimed to preserve the purity of the soil, which Zoroastrianism regarded as sacred.
The Pahlavi script, derived from the Aramaic alphabet, was the official writing system of the Sasanian state and known for its complex letter connections and use of ideograms representing whole words rather than sounds alone. 
Primarily employed in religious, administrative, and funerary texts, it is a crucial source for understanding Sasanian culture, religion, and governance. However, damage accumulated over centuries complicates its reading.
Naqsh-e Rostam and surrounding areas such as Estakhr, Hajjiabad, and Garmabad constitute some of the most significant centers for discovering Sasanian ossuaries. More than 100 such rock-cut bone repositories have been found in these regions, underlining their cultural importance as burial hubs.
The Sasanian Empire, the last great Iranian empire before Islam, is renowned for its religious, artistic, and architectural achievements, especially the establishment and expansion of Zoroastrianism as the state religion. 
This inscription, along with related funerary artifacts, enriches our understanding of the spiritual beliefs concerning death, purification, and the soul’s journey. It highlights Naqsh-e Rostam as a valuable portal into the complex religious and cultural world of ancient Iran.