Археология евразийских степей (Aug 2023)
Reflection of Zoroastrianism in the Temples of Central Asia of the Bronze Age
Abstract
The acceleration of migration processes in Central Asia in the Bronze Age created an environment of multiculturalism. Cultural links, social and economic progress ensured the further development of the spiritual thinking of society and led to the formation of the so-called Bull civilization. Images associated with fire occupied a special place in the origin of mythological and religious views formed the spiritual basis of this civilization. The formation of fire as a divine symbol in the spiritual world of a human being or directly as a cult has undergone a long historical process. In particular, a large number of religious buildings and rituals, representing the cult of fire in Central Asia, attracts attention. Fire as a symbol of faith was valued not only in the Zoroastrian religion, which is said to have been formed in Central Asia, but also in the earlier Indo-Iranian faith – the Daevayasna religion. The fact that the place of the bonfire was preserved in the beliefs, spread in Central Asia after Zoroastrianism, is reflected in archaeological and ethnographic materials and, above all, in the cult architecture of the Bronze Age. The article deals with the revealing of the stages of the fire cult formation in Central Asia on the basis of archaeological materials and written sources. The study presents various characteristics of fire worship, "fire reverence", the symbol of which is Mitra. The authors also analyze the general and specific features of fire hymns in such sacred sources as the Avesta and the Rigveda, and shows the evolution of the cult of fire by comparing written and material sources.
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