Throw It into the Running Water: A Study on the Talismans Thrown into Zāyandehrud River

The present article is an investigation of talismans and prayers emerging from the recently dried Zāyandehrud riverbed. Adopting an archaeological approach, this article seeks for the relation between these materials and the surrounding ritual behavior through evaluating the former. These materials are the only remnants of a behavior that is essentially immaterial. They are created to be thrown into the river and hidden in it with the intention of triggering the magical effects or breaking up them. These material objects which are discovered by chance and because of the river water stop flowing represent a covert behavior of the people of Isfahan who tend to secrecy and leave little material evidence of their behaviors. Without trying to make any judgement on any behavior, the main goal of this study is to evaluate and analyze one of the behaviors of a contemporary people through the lens of their remaining material cultures. To have a more accurate picture of various layers of this cultural behavior in the city, three different communal space i.e., mosque, shrine and cemetry have been also surveyed. At the end, after providing a brief historical background, there is a discussion focused on this kind of attitude toward the mysterious knowledges within the context of modern everyday life in Iran.