For a logical perception of religious studies it is very important to pay attention to the life customs. One of these issues in ancient Iranian religion, especially Zoroastrian religion, is the type of burial which has been in the Zoroastrian religion, since the presence of Iranians in Central Asia and then entering the Iranian plateau up to the beginning of the 1stPahlavi monarch, "exposure burial". The latter term means  putting the dead body in the open air, and after removing the flesh and skin, the bones are placed in a special place known as  “bone-receptacle, ossuary” (MP. astōdān NP. stōdānستودان ). Important sources regarding this type of burial in Zoroastrian religious books, namely Avesta and its jurisprudential section, Pahlavi Zoroastrian jurisprudence and legal sources which are related to the third and fourth centuries of H., reports of Greek and Roman historians and Syriac testimonies that have a Christian background, sources Historical and literary and sometimes jurisprudential period of Islamic Iran, Persian and Arabian, Zoroastrian living communities in Iran and India, reports of foreign travelers from Safavid to Qajar era and inscriptional and archeological findings of the last two centuries. Ferdowsī's Šāh-nāma is one of these important sources.
 
Keywords: Zoroastrian religion, burial, exposure, Sasanian, Ferdowsī's Šāh-nāma, Avesta, Vis o Rāmīn
 
 
A part of religious customs and manners of thinking about the afterlife and resurrection seems to be manifested in the type of burial. In Zoroastrianism, burial is very important in this regard. In Zoroastrianism, since the presence of Iranians in Central Asia and then entering the Iranian plateau and until the beginning of the Pahlavi period, it has been  at first " exposure burial". Iranians had been using three types of burials on the way of migration until reaching Central Asia. These types of burial traditions were "soil exposure ", "cremation" and " exposure". Due to the dry and cold climate and the displacement of Iranians, the tendency to the tradition of " air exposure burial" increased. It is difficult to know whether the acceptance of this tradition was based on Iran's type of eschatological belief, or whether this type of tradition affected Iranians' eschatological and after-life views. Air exposure means putting the dead body in the open air, after removing the flesh and skin, the bones are born in a special place known as stōdān or daxmag (bone-receptacle, ossuary). Important sources regarding this type of burial in Zoroastrian include religious books, namely Avesta and its jurisprudential section, i.e Vidēvdād,  Pahlavi Zoroastrian jurisprudence, and legal sources which are related to the third and fourth centuries of Hijri, reports of Greek and Roman historians and Syriac testimonies that have a Christian background, Historical and literary and sometimes jurisprudential sources of period of Islamic Iran, in Farsi and Arabic, Zoroastrian living communities in Iran and India, reports of foreign travelers from Safavid to Qajar era and inscriptional and archeological findings of the last two centuries. Ferdowsi's Šāhnāma is one of these important sources, it has mentioned this tradition with more breadth and variety. The most comprehensive and important source in this regard is Ferdowsi's Šāhnāma. In terms of dealing with the long period of Iran's national history, especially the Sassanid part, the Šāhnāma provides a lot of detailed information about the type of royal burial of kings and officials. Because the Šāhnāma was based on the Sasanian era's Xwadāy-nāmag and some other written sources, its references to the ancient Iranian burial tradition are of the most importance. In the following, all the burial evidence in the Šāhnāma until the end of the Sassanid period is given. This evidence shows various changes over the centuries. Burial examples can be seen in Rōstam, Sohrāb, Alexander, Esfandīyār, Xosrow I and II ceremonies. Based on what is mentioned in the Šāhnāma about ancient Iranian burials, it can be summarized that the location of the daxmag was different based on the environmental conditions. The ossuary used to be made in a high place like a "mountain ridge", or in a garden whose head reached the clouds, or where it was far away on the road that even the vulture couldn't reach, and sometimes it was higher and upper than the meadow; Or like a long porch up high, they were built ten bows above and beyond [from the ground]. Sometimes it is mentioned that the coffin was taken from plain (Hāmōn) to the ossuary, which probably refers to the high place. In addition to the compound verb “daxmag kardan” :to bury [ossuary), there is also the expression "daxmag abar frāz kardan”: to make ossuary on the height. In Šāhnāma, daxmag, stōdān are used equivalently. Royal ossuary have been called "Xosrawānīg daxmag”: majestic ossuary, "daxmag abar ēwēn ī Xosraw": ossuary according to Xosraw's rite, "šāhwār daxmag”: regal ossuary, "daxmag ī pad kardār ī ēwān/kāx”: ossuary in the manner of porch /palace, "šāhānšāhīg daxmag": the king of king’s ossuary. The ossuary was used to be known as a place for eternal sleep: jāwēd xwāb. After the body was put in the coffin, the coffin door was closed tightly and the body was placed on the throne (golden throne) and the attendants accompanied it to the tomb. Then they would close the door of the ossuary and no one should have seen the face of the king anymore. After that, the attendants would return and probably close the route to the ossuary as well. The only case that which a ossuary was opened, was the case of Xosraw II, at the request of his wife, Šīrīn. After completing the rituals, the crowd would say "pad drōd (goodbye)" to the king or warrior and pour "musk and flowers" on the dead body. For the dead, they made a crown or a diadem of musk and camphor or Turquoise. The tomb would also be painted: "from red gold and azure". And the door of the ossuary was painted "red and blue". Its dimensions are large and spacious like a palace, and benches and sometimes swords, battle maces, belts, and armor of the owner of the tomb were placed in the ossuary. And sometimes they hired two guards in the ossuary. An example of that type is Shirin’s ossuary which is said to have been built for her as the "superior ossuary ", perhaps in a place higher than Khosrow II’s ossuary. Each king's tomb consisted of two identical and tall buildings with a gate, which was not a place of passage but had sufficient security. There was a writing or an inscription on the door and ossuary of the kings to commemorate some of the great deeds of the king and his treasure and army. The way to put the king’s dead body of the king in the ossuary was placing it on the "ivory throne" or "golden throne" and a crown of magnitude was placed on top of the throne. Sometimes the king’s dead body was put in an "iron coffin" or "golden coffin" and put “golden coffin and teak cradle" and "coffin" and put a "Chinese fine silk carpet" under the coffin and one side of the iron coffin was tarred. On the tar, they poured musk and perfume and covered the king's body with fine gold-gilded silk cloth. The tradition of mummification or waxing is also reported in Šāhnāma.