Byzantine burial.
At least three metal nails were found that may have come from a wooden coffin. Two of them in situ (X1 and X2), the rest, some fragments, from dry sieve.
The burial was filled with two materials. Brick material was placed at the head and probably on top of the coffin, and softer material that was placed at the edges of the grave and on top of coffin. Perhaps the bricks were placed on top as the last thing in the burial, as they were visible from the top.
The body was placed in a supine position. The head was missing, other than that, much of the body was preserved, even though in fragile state.
The western part of the burial was disturbed by animal burrowing. It is possible that someone had dug into the burial fill at some point and retrieved the head of the dead body. This 'head retrieval pit' left a softer material for an animal to burrow in, which may explain the extent of disturbance in that area of the burial.
No skull fragment were found in the disturbed area, which indicates that the head was gone by the time the animal disturbed the area.
However, the teeth that were found near the ribs shows that tha head has been present (the body was not buried decapitated), and it shows that the head had been in the ground long enough fot the teeth to come loose, but was in good condition as it did not break at all, as there are no skull fragments at all. Probably a while after the burial, but not very long after.
However, the animal may have displaced some hand bone on the left side, see plan 12/315. According to Josh the left side of the skeleton was less preserved than the right one. The animal borrowing was frequent at the left side of the body, along the north wall of the burial.
I SW corner a horn core was found. It is stuck into the side and bottom of the cut. The Byzantine people digging the burial may have cut into it. It probably belongs to something (neolithic?) below the burial. It was left in there for now. |
