The Cemetery of Azor and Early Iron Age Burial Practices

Ben-ShlomoThe Cemetery of AzorFigure 11Plan and section of Cremation Burial D63XII (Dothan and Ben-Shlomo 2005, 118, fig. 3.34:11)and possibly from ‘Eitun cemetery (Dothan 1982,237, fig. 10). A good example of a double jar/pithoiburial comes from the recent excavations at Azor(Buchennino 2006, Area A, fig. 2). There, two largejars or pithoi of a unique form were placed as burialcontainers rim to rim; the neck of one of the jars warcut so it could fit into the neck of the other. It shouldbe noted that there is no clear evidence from Area Dfor the use of pithoi for burials; in all documentedcases storage jars were used. Some of the humanremains in these burials are of young children/infants.Possibly the jar burials reflect the practice of coveringthe deceased with jar fragments, or child/infantburials in jars. Secondary burial cannot be ruledout, also with relation to complete or partial burningor cremation of the body. While there is no directevidence for this practice at Azor, other jar/pithoiburials from Sahab, Jordan were found with remainsof fire (Ibrahim 1972, 32).4. Cremation burials include Tombs D62 andD63 and an additional possible example. Tomb D63was previously published in relative detail in Hebrew(Dothan 1989). The tomb is located in Sq K10 andwas uncovered about 1 m below the surface (Figs 11–13). Essentially, this is a square structure made ofstones, measuring 1 . 25 6 1 . 2 m surrounding anupright standing jar, which is the burial vessel. Thestructure was built of large stones measuring up to 606 30 cm; the upper course was not completelypreserved and was about 25 cm above the rim ofthe jar. The wall was built to a maximum of fourcourses of stones. The base of the jar was buriedabout 30 cm below the lower level of the lowercourse; the height of the jar itself is about 75 cm. Thelower courses of stones were smaller and flatter and inthe western side the structure was only one coursehigh (Fig. 11: Section 1). Upon discovery the jar’smouth was covered by a basalt slab (Fig. 11; Dothan1989, 165, fig. 17); this was a grinding stone or a flatbowl. Four pottery vessels stood between the easternwall of the structure and the top of the jar (Fig. 12).According to this positioning it seems that a pit wasdug initially, thence the jar was placed in the pit,partly sunk in the ground, and about 50 cmprotruding above it; the stone structure was buildaround the jar and slightly above it, and the spacebetween the jar and the structure, and possibly the jar38 Levant 2008 VOL 40 NO 1