--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For centuries, the ancient Zoroastrian…" description: "\"“For centuries, the ancient Zoroastrian method of disposal of the dead has been a source of curiosity among outsiders: from Herodotus and Strabo in anc..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d36/jenny-rose-34865_quote_for-centuries-the-ancient-zoroastrian-me_1547492.jpg" --- # For centuries, the ancient Zoroastrian method of disposal… ![“For centuries, the ancient Zoroastrian method of disposal of the dead has been a source of curiosity among outsiders: from Herodotus and Strabo in ancient Anatolia, to European travelers through Iran and India in the medieval and colonial periods. An early fourteenth-century description of a…” quote by Jenny Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d36/jenny-rose-34865_quote_for-centuries-the-ancient-zoroastrian-me_1547492.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d36/jenny-rose-34865_quote_for-centuries-the-ancient-zoroastrian-me_1547492.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d36/jenny-rose-34865_quote_for-centuries-the-ancient-zoroastrian-me_1547492.jpg) > ““For centuries, the ancient Zoroastrian method of disposal of the dead has been a source of curiosity among outsiders: from Herodotus and Strabo in ancient Anatolia, to European travelers through Iran and India in the medieval and colonial periods. An early fourteenth-century description of a dakhma—the hilltop enclosure in which a corpse is placed to be consumed by vultures—is found in the writings of a French Dominican friar named Jordanus.”” [Jenny Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-rose/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The ancient Zoroastrian practice of exposing bodies to vultures intrigued many travelers and scholars over centuries **In simple terms:** A burial method using birds sparked curiosity across cultures Key Takeaway Recognize diverse cultural rituals and their historical contexts Themes cultural anthropology death rites cross‑cultural curiosity Mood reflective inquisitive Type educational historical When to use this quote - museum exhibitions - academic research - cultural heritage tourism - interfaith dialogue Key Concepts Zoroastrianism funeral customs historical documentation Questions to Reflect On - How do societies balance respect for tradition with contemporary norms? - What can we learn from ancient ecological approaches to death? A Different Perspective Modern burial practices may conflict with environmental regulations ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ancient Zoroastrian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient-zoroastrian-5776495/) [Consumed Vultures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumed-vultures-5776493/) [Description Dakhma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/description-dakhma-5776492/) [Enclosure Corpse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enclosure-corpse-5776496/) [Zoroastrian Method](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/zoroastrian-method-5776494/) ## Related quotes > [“Some scholars maintain that we should not even talk of “Zoroastrianism” in terms of a religion with a systematized collection of beliefs and praxes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-rose/some-scholars-maintain-that-we-should-not-even-talk-of-zoroastrianism/) [Jenny Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-rose/) > [“One of my former students, recently tasked with the writing of bio-ethical guidelines for a teaching hospital in southern California, noted that among the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-rose/one-of-my-former-students-recently-tasked-with-the-writing-of-bio/) [Jenny Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-rose/) > [“The Zoroastrian religion addresses the problem of the source of evil partly through the notion of ethical dualism, which operates at the level of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-rose/the-zoroastrian-religion-addresses-the-problem-of-the-source-of-evil/) [Jenny Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-rose/) > [“These were all composed in a language known as Old Avestan, which is similar in syntax, meter, and vocabulary to the Old Indic of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-rose/these-were-all-composed-in-a-language-known-as-old-avestan-which-is/) [Jenny Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-rose/) > [“The term “Neo-traditionalist” is sometimes now applied by outside academics to those Parsis/Iranis who adopt a theological understanding of Zoroastrianism informed by western scholarship,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-rose/the-term-neo-traditionalist-is-sometimes-now-applied-by-outside/) [Jenny Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-rose/) > [“The name Assara Mazaash was found in an early first millennium ritual text from the library of the neo-Assyrian king Assurbanipal (r. 669–c. 630…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-rose/the-name-assara-mazaash-was-found-in-an-early-first-millennium-ritual/) [Jenny Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-rose/) > [“This is evidenced by the discovery of many ossuaries, or “bone-holders,” dating from the fifth- to the eighth-centuries CE. These held the collected sun-dried…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-rose/this-is-evidenced-by-the-discovery-of-many-ossuaries-or-bone-holders/) [Jenny Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-rose/) > [“Those who describe themselves as traditionalist may outnumber other groups, but they espouse more than one normative Zoroastrian theology. The theological spectrum is most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-rose/those-who-describe-themselves-as-traditionalist-may-outnumber-other/) [Jenny Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-rose/) > [“The notion that the term “Zoroastrian” refers to religious conviction, rather than lineage and birth, is reflected in a resolution passed by the North…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-rose/the-notion-that-the-term-zoroastrian-refers-to-religious-conviction/) [Jenny Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-rose/) > [“Iranian Zoroastrian immigrants who seek asylum in India under the aegis of the BPP must produce an identity card issued by a local anjuman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-rose/iranian-zoroastrian-immigrants-who-seek-asylum-in-india-under-the/) [Jenny Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-rose/) > [“The coins and inscriptions of the Kushan king Kanishka (r. c. 127–151 CE) use Bactrian, a Middle Iranian language that was written in Greek…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-rose/the-coins-and-inscriptions-of-the-kushan-king-kanishka-r-c-127-151-ce/) [Jenny Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-rose/) > [“It is in the context of this mid-Sasanian era edict reported by Elishe that the myth of Zurvan as hypostatized “Time” is outlined. Another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-rose/it-is-in-the-context-of-this-mid-sasanian-era-edict-reported-by/) [Jenny Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-rose/) > [“The Persian Rivayats refer to a woman’s barrenness as a viable cause for a man to take a second wife. The impossibility of reproduction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-rose/the-persian-rivayats-refer-to-a-woman-s-barrenness-as-a-viable-cause/) [Jenny Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-rose/) ## More by Jenny Rose > [“Some scholars maintain that we should not even talk of “Zoroastrianism” in terms of a religion with a systematized collection of beliefs and praxes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-rose/some-scholars-maintain-that-we-should-not-even-talk-of-zoroastrianism/) [Jenny Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-rose/) > [“It is in the context of this mid-Sasanian era edict reported by Elishe that the myth of Zurvan as hypostatized “Time” is outlined. Another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-rose/it-is-in-the-context-of-this-mid-sasanian-era-edict-reported-by/) [Jenny Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-rose/) > [“The coins and inscriptions of the Kushan king Kanishka (r. c. 127–151 CE) use Bactrian, a Middle Iranian language that was written in Greek…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-rose/the-coins-and-inscriptions-of-the-kushan-king-kanishka-r-c-127-151-ce/) [Jenny Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-rose/) > [“Iranian Zoroastrian immigrants who seek asylum in India under the aegis of the BPP must produce an identity card issued by a local anjuman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-rose/iranian-zoroastrian-immigrants-who-seek-asylum-in-india-under-the/) [Jenny Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-rose/) > [“The notion that the term “Zoroastrian” refers to religious conviction, rather than lineage and birth, is reflected in a resolution passed by the North…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-rose/the-notion-that-the-term-zoroastrian-refers-to-religious-conviction/) [Jenny Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-rose/) > [“Those who describe themselves as traditionalist may outnumber other groups, but they espouse more than one normative Zoroastrian theology. The theological spectrum is most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-rose/those-who-describe-themselves-as-traditionalist-may-outnumber-other/) [Jenny Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-rose/) > [“This is evidenced by the discovery of many ossuaries, or “bone-holders,” dating from the fifth- to the eighth-centuries CE. These held the collected sun-dried…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-rose/this-is-evidenced-by-the-discovery-of-many-ossuaries-or-bone-holders/) [Jenny Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-rose/) > [“The name Assara Mazaash was found in an early first millennium ritual text from the library of the neo-Assyrian king Assurbanipal (r. 669–c. 630…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-rose/the-name-assara-mazaash-was-found-in-an-early-first-millennium-ritual/) [Jenny Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-rose/) > [“The term “Neo-traditionalist” is sometimes now applied by outside academics to those Parsis/Iranis who adopt a theological understanding of Zoroastrianism informed by western scholarship,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-rose/the-term-neo-traditionalist-is-sometimes-now-applied-by-outside/) [Jenny Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-rose/) > [“These were all composed in a language known as Old Avestan, which is similar in syntax, meter, and vocabulary to the Old Indic of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-rose/these-were-all-composed-in-a-language-known-as-old-avestan-which-is/) [Jenny Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-rose/) > [“The Zoroastrian religion addresses the problem of the source of evil partly through the notion of ethical dualism, which operates at the level of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-rose/the-zoroastrian-religion-addresses-the-problem-of-the-source-of-evil/) [Jenny Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-rose/) > [“One of my former students, recently tasked with the writing of bio-ethical guidelines for a teaching hospital in southern California, noted that among the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-rose/one-of-my-former-students-recently-tasked-with-the-writing-of-bio/) [Jenny Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-rose/) > [“The Persian Rivayats refer to a woman’s barrenness as a viable cause for a man to take a second wife. The impossibility of reproduction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-rose/the-persian-rivayats-refer-to-a-woman-s-barrenness-as-a-viable-cause/) [Jenny Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-rose/) [Explore all 14 Jenny Rose quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-rose/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“For centuries, the ancient Zoroastrian method of disposal of the dead has been a source of curiosity among outsiders: from Herodotus and Strabo in ancient Anatolia, to European travelers through Iran and India in the medieval and colonial periods. An early fourteenth-century description of a dakhma—the hilltop enclosure in which a corpse is placed to be consumed by vultures—is found in the writings of a French Dominican friar named Jordanus.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jenny Rose" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-rose/for-centuries-the-ancient-zoroastrian-method-of-disposal-of-the-dead/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Description Dakhma" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-rose/for-centuries-the-ancient-zoroastrian-method-of-disposal-of-the-dead/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d36/jenny-rose-34865_quote_for-centuries-the-ancient-zoroastrian-me_1547492.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d36/jenny-rose-34865_quote_for-centuries-the-ancient-zoroastrian-me_1547492.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d36/jenny-rose-34865_quote_for-centuries-the-ancient-zoroastrian-me_1547492.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“For centuries, the ancient Zoroastrian method of disposal of the dead has been a source of curiosity among…” — Jenny Rose", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jenny Rose", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-rose/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“For centuries, the ancient Zoroastrian method...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-rose/for-centuries-the-ancient-zoroastrian-method-of-disposal-of-the-dead/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-rose/for-centuries-the-ancient-zoroastrian-method-of-disposal-of-the-dead/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```