Les hommes du Kébarien géométrique de Neve David, Mont Carmel (Israël)

Life, death, and the destruction of architecture: Hunter-gatherer mortuary behaviors in prehistoric Jordan

“…A lack of evidence for disturbance of the stone pavement, or a clear burial pit connected to it, suggests that an interpretation of intentional burial beneath an existing structure is tentative. Although dating to the later Middle Epipaleolithic period, at Neve David an adult male was buried below, but in unclear association with, a stone arrangement (Bocquentin et al, 2011a;Kaufman and Ronen, 1987b). Thus, the findings within Structure 2 at Kharaneh IV are the earliest evidence here for a clear, intentional primary deposition of human remains inside of a dwelling or structure and associated with its use and destruction.…”

“…Almost complete primary burial of adult male in shallow pit; flexed position; grave marked by several large stones; broken groundstone bowl behind head; milling stone between legs; stone slabs and breached mortar over the skull; missing ribs, vertebrae, teeth Highly fragmented partial burial of another adult (Bocquentin et al, 2011b;Kaufman, 1989;Kaufman and Ronen, 1987a) Qadish Valley…”

Different Strokes for Different Folks: Near Eastern Neolithic Mortuary Practices in Perspective

“…Though most of the burials are single and extended (e.g., Ohalo 11, Wadi Mataha -Hershltowitz et al 1995;Stoclz et al 2005), there are also other positions, for example, the sitting burial from Early Epipaleolithic Ain Qassiya (Richter et al 2010) and the flexed burial, among the extended ones, at the Middle Epipaleolithic cemetery at 'Uyyun al-Hammam (Wadi Ziqlab 148) (Maher et al 2011). From the Middle Epipaleolithic there is some evidence for marlung of the grave by the placement of stone mortars/bo\vls on top of the burials, as at Neve David (Bocquentin et al 2011) and Wadi Mataha (Stoclz et al 2005; and see later discussion). At the 'Uyyun al-Hammam (Wadi Ziqlab 148) cemetery most graves were of single individuals with no grave goods, but at least one grave contained the remains of two individuals, and a couple of burials included intentionally deposited animal remains, most spectacularly, those of a foxuntil recently considered a uniquely Natufian characteristic, and see later discussion (Maher et al 201 1).…”

Réflexions sur les mécanismes d’intégration des morts aux premières sociétés sédentaires du Proche-Orient (Natoufien, 15-11,6 ka cal BP)

“…However, although some burials predated the Natufian, notably during the Geometric Kebarian period (e.g. Bocquentin et al, 2011;Maher et al, 2011), the recurrent interment of the dead must be considered as a major transformation in human societies, just as much so as the beginning of funerary treatments in the Middle Palaeolithic. Although the burial of corpses would seem to be a way of hiding the dead and of sparing the living from the decomposition that takes place (e.g.…”