MADRID, September 21. /Dunyo IA/. Archaeologists have discovered an altar and an ossuary during excavations at the Odirmon archaeological site in Kamashi District, Kashkadarya Region, provisionally dated to the period from the 3rd century BC to the 3^rd century AD, reports Dunyo IA correspondent, citing with the Spanish digital magazine “La Brújula Verde”.

Systematic research at the site began only this year under the direction of Sanjar Abdurakhimov, a researcher at the Samarkand Archaeological Institute. In the northeaster part of the site, archaeologists discovered an altar approximately 70 centimetres high and 90 centimetres wide, bearing traces of fire and several layers of clay plaster, indicating that it had been restored repeatedly.

An ossuary - a vessel used to store the bones of the deceased after the flesh had been removed - was discovered nearby. Its surface is decorated with images believed to depict a deer and an archa tree, or Turkestan juniper. However, specialists will be able to determine the precise meaning of the ornaments after restoration.

Combination of the altar and the ossuary may point to funerary practices associated with the Zoroastrian tradition, in which the bodies of the deceased were neither buried nor cremated, but, after the bones had been cleansed, were placed in special vessels.

If the dating of Odirmon is confirmed, the discovery could provide evidence of such rituals several centuries before the widespread use of decorated ossuaries in Sogdiana and Khorezm. At the same time, researchers emphasize that the dating remains preliminary and requires further study.

Archaeologists are continuing excavations, which are expected to help determine the function of Odirmon and the historical status of the site. The Agency for Cultural Heritage of Uzbekistan notes that the discoveries constitute a valuable source for studying the religious beliefs and funerary practices of the ancient population that inhabited the region.