Plan of Tell el-Farʿah Chamber Tomb 902

Fig. 3. Plan of Tell el-Farʿah Chamber Tomb 902 (Petrie 1930: pl. 13) (courtesy of UCL Institute of Archaeology).

In the 900 cemetery, chamber tombs were spaced evenly along the slope, while pit and shaft graves were somewhat randomly distributed between and around them. The LB IIB–Early Iron I graves in the 500 cemetery were located among Iron IB graves in one section of the cemetery and spatially distinct from those of the Middle Bronze Age. In all cemeteries, the orientation of the graves was not uniform, with north–south represented in a little more than half.

After the facility was prepared, the deceased was placed in the grave (see table 2). Nearly all were laid out extended on their backs, with their hands most often placed on the pelvis. In keeping with the variable orientation of the graves, head direction was also not consistent, although the majority faced south. Most of the deceased were placed alone in the graves. Multiple burials occurred in chamber tombs, where their numbers ranged from 3 to 20 individuals in successive burials of both adults and children, suggesting they were family units. By contrast, pit and shaft graves contained no more than three multiple interments, which were mostly children.

Various objects were then laid in the grave around the deceased, primarily pottery vessels which were found in nearly all the graves (see table 3). Except perhaps for the rare chalices and rattles, all were of a domestic nature, with the most commonly represented vessel types being bowls, juglets, and jugs, followed by pilgrim flasks, storage jars, and lamps. Tools and weapons were rare. Conoid stamp seals and cylinder seals, stone and bronze vessels, ivory and alabaster cosmetic containers, and decorative elements for boxes and handles were also occasionally found. These grave goods were most commonly placed near the head of the deceased, but also by the feet and torso.

Little evidence for special ceremonies at the grave-site was recorded. Only two vessels actually contained food or were sealed, suggesting that overall the burial ritual may not have included foodstuffs. Pottery vessels were placed in the fill of two graves. In the only case of special treatment of the body, a large sherd and stone were placed over the head of the deceased. In addition, there was no secondary treatment of the deceased after interment, although in multiple tombs, bodies and objects were sometimes pushed aside to make room for new ones.

Braunstein, Susan L. “The Meaning of Egyptian-Style Objects in the Late Bronze Cemeteries of Tell El-Farʿah (South).” Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research (November 2011) 364 (2011): 8–9. Print.