World's oldest worship pots used in Mazdaism found in Xinjiang  

新疆发现世界最早的11只拜火教木制火坛

A wooden worship pot is displayed.

(ECNS) – Chinese archaeologists have found 11 wooden fire pots used by ancient Mazdaism believers to practice fire worship from 2,500 years ago in Northwest China's Xinjiang, the Science and Technology Daily reported.

They are the oldest worship pots used in Mazdaism, according to the newspaper.

The containers were found in the tombs of Tashkurgan, each of which contained 15 cobblestones.

Mazdaism believers set fire in the containers and prayed for light and justice, said Wu Xinhua, head of the Xinjiang detachment of China's Institute of Archaeology.

The ancient believers might have lighted a fire in the container, put them in the tombs, and then buried them with soil, leading to the containers being preserved with burn marks, Wu said.

The discovery provided evidence that ancient residents on the Pamirs worshiped fire and Mazdaism had once prevailed in the region.