Centro y Periferia en el Antiguo Israel: Nuevas aproximaciones a las prácticas funerarias del Calcolítico en la Planicie Costera

Summary: Centre and Periphery in Ancient Israel: New Approximations to Chalcolithic Funerary Practices in the Coastal Plain. A salvage excavation was carried out north east of Kibutz Palmahim (c. 20 km. south of Tel Aviv). The more prevalent features discovered at Palmahim are massive, undisturbed rectangular or circular enclosures, in which several types of interments were unearthed. Some of them were found roofed with a corbelled dome and some of the enclosures were found full of abundant rubble inside, indicating roofs that collapsed. Attached to the eastern wall of the enclosures stelae were found, in a number ranging between one and four in each structure. The area was paved with small pebbles and the tombs were arranged in lines, obviously on purpose. The osteological remains are meager, as well as the ceramic assemblage, due to the proximity to the sea. However, very typical vessels, dated to the Late Chalcolithic (Ghassulian) were retrieved. Among the important finds in the necropolis at Palmahim are stone ossuaries, skillfully made of smoothed, polished kurkar rock. Furthermore, several dozens of stelae were found at Palmahim, as well as evidence of cultic activities. Chalcolithic cemeteries and burial places in Israel were usually divided into two main types. The first is the well known mortuary practice of burial in hewn or natural caves, accompanied by a wide range of offerings. The distribution of this type of burial is roughly the Central Coastal Plain and the Shephelah, mostly in the area delimited by the Soreq and Hadera Rivers. The second type of burials is interment in stone-build structures, mostly round or oval-shaped. This kind of sites was considered to be typical of arid and marginal areas, like the Sinai desert, the northern Negev and Transjordan. The results of the new excavation at Palmahim, namely a cemetery with evident “peripheral” attributes located in the heart of the Central Coastal Plain, may indicate that this typology, based on geographical distribution is no longer valid. This could alter our understanding of Chalcolithic burial practices.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Gorzalczany, Amir
Format: Artículo biblioteca
Language:spa
Published: Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina. Facultad de Ciencias Sociales. Departamento de Historia. Centro de Estudios de Historia del Antiguo Oriente 2007
Subjects:YACIMIENTOS ARQUEOLOGICOS, OBJETOS ARQUEOLOGICOS, RITOS FUNERARIOS, CEMENTERIOS,
Online Access:https://repositorio.uca.edu.ar/handle/123456789/11886
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