New excavations in the remote Gorno-Badakhshan region of Tajikistan have revealed a cache of copper-bound ritual lyres and bone flutes dating back to the mid-1st millennium BCE. The instruments were found in a large, circular feasting hall, suggesting they were the centerpiece of a 'Festival of the Pamir Peaks' where mountain communities gathered to celebrate the spring equinox through music and animal sacrifice.
The presence of rare lapis lazuli and carnelian beads on the lyre frames indicates that these festivals were significant economic events, attracting traders from as far as the Indus Valley and Mesopotamia. Analysis of nearby hearths shows that participants consumed specialized mountain herb infusions, likely part of a communal ritual to honor the spirits of the high passes.