中亚的琐罗亚斯德教:花剌子模的新发现

Zoroastrianism in Central Asia:New Discoveries in Khorezm

20世纪90年代以来,学界关于中亚琐罗亚斯德教知识的增进主要来自粟特纳骨器和在中国发现的粟特人纪念性葬具,两者皆提供了在伊朗世界其他地方从未见过的来世图像。^(①)然而自2008年特别是2014年以来,历史学家们对早期琐罗亚斯德教的关注焦点已经转移到花剌子模地区(the Khorezm Region),即古典希腊–罗马作家笔下位于粟特西北的古代王国“花剌子模”(Chorasmia)。^(②)与粟特相反,花剌子模自阿契美尼德时代起就一直保持独立。其最早的都城对应于公元前2世纪到公元2世纪存在的阿克察汗卡拉遗址,由澳大利亚–卡拉卡尔帕克(Australian-Karakalpakian)联合考古队发掘。

For the last 20 years or so,progress on the knowledge of Zoroastrianism in Central Asia came mainly from Sogdian ossuaries and funerary monuments of Sogdians in China,both providing images of the hereafter never met anywhere else in the Iranian world.Since 2008,an unexpected set of discoveries came from Akchakhan-kala,the earliest capital of far-off Khorezm(2^(nd)c.BCE–2^(nd)c.CE).A set of large-scale wall paintings has been recovered from fragments fallen on the ground;the composition once adorned the southern wall of the hypostyle hall in the central part of the palatial complex.Radiocarbon samples indicate the early 1^(st)c.CE.It shows three,or perhaps four,standing deities,over six meters high.These images are currently being studied by Fiona Kidd,Michele Minardi and myself.The deity to the left is now safely identified as the god Sraosha,overseer of ritual activity and chief fighter against demons.The next one,upholding the sky,is probably the Fravashi of Khorezm(Fravashis are guardian spirits of communities and helpers in the process of rainfall).On both images some motifs on the costumes appear to directly illustrate Zoroastrian rituals and formulas from the Avesta,showing that the liturgical book or at least some parts of it was well known to the priests who supervised the iconographic program.This is the earliest set of Zoroastrian art so far discovered.