Pashootanizadeh, Azadeh. 2026. The Sasanian Silk Road: Socioeconomic structures of the Zoroastrian silk trade. TEXTILE. 1–14.
This study examines the cultural economy of silk during the Sasanian period and its influence on the cultural landscape of fire temples. The prosperity of the Silk Road expanded professions and social groups associated with the silk trade, allowing the Sasanian period to be divided into two phases. In the first phase, three fire temples—Adur Gushnasp, Adur Farnbag, and Adur Burzen-Mihr—were constructed for distinct social classes at key locations along the Silk Road, forming the vertices of a triangle in central Iran with the Neyasar Fire Temple at its center. In the second phase, whose beginning is uncertain, the Neyasar Fire Temple was designated for a newly emerged intermediary administrative class responsible for managing financial records and taxes related to the silk trade. The construction of caravanserais and government forts around Neyasar reflects the diverse social and economic activities associated with silk commerce. Based on fieldwork, document analysis, archaeological evidence, and specialized silk-related terminology, this study analyzes the relationship between fire temples, social strata, and the cultural economy of silk. The findings suggest that fire temples functioned not only as religious centers but also as key nodes within the socio-economic networks of the Sasanian Silk Road.
Abstract
Pashootanizadeh, Azadeh. 2026. Iranian Zoroastrians: Custodians of the Sasanian Silk Road heritage to the present. TEXTILE. 1–16.
This study examines the material and intangible heritage of Iranian Zoroastrians in Khorasan and Tabaristan from the Sasanian period to the present, with a particular focus on their connection to the Silk Road. It investigates the timing and patterns of Zoroastrian migration and how they preserved Sasanian Silk Road heritage through silk production, related occupations, dialects, historical architecture, and ritual practices. Data was collected through fieldwork, document analysis, specialized silk terminology, and direct interaction with the community. The findings indicate that Zoroastrian migration from Khorasan and Tabaristan occurred at different times due to distinct historical and geographical factors; natural barriers in Tabaristan delayed migration, whereas Khorasan came under Muslim rule earlier. The celebration of Tirgan, the variation of the Dari Behdini dialects in Yazd and Kerman, and the naming of settlements further aid in tracing the origins of migrant communities. This study demonstrates that Zoroastrians not only preserved silk-related traditions but also safeguarded the tangible and intangible heritage of the Silk Road, as evidenced by the spatial relationship between bazaars and dakhmas, archaeological findings, the use of Farr by Zoroastrian silk merchants, and Zoroastrian dress codes—such as the wearing of the Maknā, even in funerary rituals.
Abstract