Semiotic Recognition of Indexical, Iconic, and Inventive Signs in the Gravestone Motifs of Sepid Chah Cemetery in Mazandaran Based on Umberto Eco’s Approach
Keywords:
Semiotics, Umberto Eco, Gravestones, Sepid Chah Cemetery, Symbolic Motifs, Indigenous CultureAbstract
Gravestones are among the most significant cultural and visual elements of human societies, functioning not only as funerary objects but also as carriers of social, ritual, and identity-related meanings. This study aimed to identify and analyze the indexical, iconic, and inventive signs embedded in the gravestone motifs of the historical Sepid Chah cemetery in Mazandaran through the semiotic approach of Umberto Eco. The research was developmental in purpose and descriptive-analytical in method with a qualitative approach. Data were collected through field and library studies. In the fieldwork phase, 50 gravestones containing symbolic motifs were purposively selected and documented. Data analysis was conducted based on Eco’s semiotic concepts with emphasis on the relationship between signs, cultural codes, visual articulation, and meaning production. The findings revealed that the gravestone motifs of Sepid Chah can be classified into three levels of indexical, iconic, and inventive signs. Indexical signs mainly appeared through occupational and practical tools and referred to the social identity, gender, and profession of the deceased. Iconic signs primarily included animal, vegetal, and natural motifs symbolizing immortality, spiritual ascent, power, fertility, and continuity of life. Inventive signs emerged in geometric and inscriptional motifs that, through repetition, symmetry, and visual composition, became part of the cemetery’s visual language and cultural identity. The results demonstrated that the gravestones of Sepid Chah function as multilayered cultural texts through which collective memory, indigenous beliefs, and local cultural identity are reproduced within a coherent semiotic system.
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