Axes were rare among the Scythians but are occasionally found in Scythian kurgans. Like other weapons, axes had practical as well social and religious roles. The not only placed burials burial gifts, also used them at various stages of funeral ritual. This article considers several hitherto unknown, highly unusual archaeological contexts featuring axes. These show that ritual preceding excavati...

Low, open, circular platforms were built in residential areas at sites across the Maya lowlands during Preclassic period (c. 1000 BCE – 300 CE). These structures probably used for ritual performances, such as dances. Here, we describe three examples excavated Ceibal, Guatemala. We argue that round supra-household rituals created overlapping communities between levels of domestic and public. Usi...

The paper discusses musical performances used at mourning ceremonies by the Ismaili Muslims in mountainous Gorno–Badakhshan province of Tajikistan (hereafter GBAO). Shī’a Ismailis make up most population this province, compared to a majority Sunni Muslim rest Tajikistan. These have lived remote for centuries and therefore evolved their own unique culture that is different from Tajikistan. ...

the safavid dynasty's government, formally of shi'ism in iran, a new style called rozeh-khaany of mourning and religious representation with poems and texts related to an event of karbala to create tekyeh, there was a mosque and endowments. these rituals to gain legitimacy in the qajar period, was followed by severe and more widespread, in this time of mourning for the social class an...