NORTH
PERSIAN WOMEN
One
of the most remarkable finds from ancient Iran pertains to skeletons
of a male and a female discovered in a tomb at Tappeh Hasanlu, located
in Naqadeh, West Azerbaijan Province, northwest Iran. As noted in
the Ancient Origins website:
“The
human remains of the “Hasanlu Lovers” were found in
a bin with no objects. The only feature found is a stone slab under
the head of the skeleton on the left hand side. The discovery was
made by a team of archaeologists from the University of Pennsylvania
led by Robert Dyson back in 1972.”
![](HasanluLovers800BC.jpg)
The
“Lovers of Hasanlu” (Source: Ancient Origins website).
As noted in the Ancient Origins website: “The two skeletons
are close together facing each other, while the female skeleton
on the left reaching out its right hand to touch the face of her
lover on the right. They both have their arms around each other
and have clear signs of severe injury and trauma on their bodies
sustained around the time of their death. Experts believe that they
died together by asphyxiation during the destruction of the Teppe
Hasanlu citadel”.
The
Hasanlu region in Iran’s northwest region was already settled
by Iranian speaking peoples at the time and that these are most
likely of the Avestan culture of which one of its manifestations
was the Zoroastrian religion.The photo of the Hasanlu tomb containing
the skeletons of a male and female in embrace were discussed by
Kaveh Farrokh in his lecture “Women in Ancient Iran”
during a conference on Iranian Women at Portland State University
(April 20, 2013).
The
main set of Zoroastrian texts composed in Avestan promote ideas
of gender parity, which was a reflection of the nature of early
Iranian society (Schwartz, 2007, pp. 4). As noted by Hintze this
feature provides “a modern appearance on this ancient [Zoroastrian]
religion” (2003, pp. 403). The egalitarianism of Women and
Men is emphasized in Zoroastrianism , especially with respect to
the honored status of women who are recognized as: “…men’s
partners in the common struggle against evil” (Boyce, 1972,
pp. 308, footnote 83).
![](ScythianFemaleCommander.jpg)
A
reconstruction by Cernenko and Gorelik of the north-Iranian Saka
or Scythians in battle (Cernenko & Gorelik, 1989, Plate F).
The ancient Avestan Iranians (those in ancient Persia and the ones
in ancient Eastern Europe) often had women warriors and chieftains,
a practice not unlike those of the contemporary ancient Celts in
ancient Central and Western Europe. What is also notable is the
costume of the Iranian female warrior – this type of dress
continues to appear in parts of Luristan in Western
Iran.
The
equality message of Zoroastrianism is declared by use of very specific
and inclusive terminology.
Four times in Yasna Haptanhaiti :
1.
Nar (man) and nairi– “woman” are deliberately
arranged together
2. Twice as part of fixed expression na va nairi va “a man
or a woman” (Yasna Haptanhaiti: 35.6, 41.2)
3. Twice as naramca nairinamca “of men and women” (Yasna
Haptanhaiti: 37.3, 39.2)
4. i0a … naro aoa jenaiio (thus … men, so also women)
(in Yasna Haptanhaiti, 53.6)
![](Hasanlu-Excavation-site.gif)
A
diagram of Hasanlu Tepe, which is situated to the south of Lake
Urmia iin Iran’s northwest (Source: Penn Museum).
Women
are described as having moral and religious equality with men. For
example, one of the Zoroastrian prayers beseech Aryaman to Nerebiiasca
Nairibiiasca Zarauštrahe (come to the aid of the men and women
of Zarathustra). As noted in the Holy Gathas (Aiwisruthrem Gah 9)
:
“We
venerate the righteous woman who is good in thoughts, words, and
deeds, who is well-educated, is an authority on religious affairs,
is progressively serene, and is like the women who belong to the
Wise God.”
In the Younger Avestan both sexes are warned :
“Noit cahmi zazuua yo noit? urune zazuua. Noit cahmi zazuši
ya noit urune zazuši” (He has not won anything who has
not won [anything] for his soul. She has not won anything who has
not won [anything] for her soul) (fragment FrD.3; Hoffmann, 1968,
pp. 288).
As
noted by Nigosian, in the Zoroastrian faith :
“…no
distinction is made between the genders…both occupy the same
place of honor…on the same level in…power” (1993,
pp.81).
Source
:
http://kavehfarrokh.com/
uncategorized/the-2800-year
-embrace-in-the-hasanlu-tomb/