Chalcolithic Burial Sites at Ma'abarot and Tel Ifshar
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‘Atiqot 53, 2006 CHALCOLITHIC BURIAL SITES AT MA‘ABAROT AND TEL IFSHAR YOSEF PORATH Several burials attributed to the Chalcolithic period1 have been excavated along the Sharon plain (central coastal plain of Israel) since 1934 (Sukenik 1937). Most were located on the easternmost kurkar (local sandstone) ridge, next to the alluvial floodplains of Nahal Yarqon (Ory 1946; Perrot 1961; Kaplan 1963; Sussman and Ben-Arieh 1966), Nahal Alexander (Paley and Porath 1979; Porath 1982; Porath, Dar and Applebaum 1985:85–92) and Nahal Hadera (Sukenik 1937). The two burial sites described here at Ma‘abarot and Tel Ifshar, respectively south and north of Nahal Alexander, provide additional examples. THE BURIAL CAVE AT MA‘ABAROT2 Fig. 1. Location map of Ma‘abarot, Tel Ifshar and The cave is located on the northern slope of a other Chalcolithic sites in the vicinity. kurkar hill (map ref. NIG 19020/69665, OIG 14020/19665; Fig. 1; Plan 1), facing the breach of Nahal Alexander through the eastern kurkar the cave was undisturbed until the modern ridge. excavations (Fig. 4). Two phases of use—both The cave (c. 4 × 8 m; Plan 1; Figs. 2–5) was of the Chalcolithic period—were noted in the quarried into a relatively brittle bed of kurkar cave, separated by a 0.1–0.4 m thick layer of situated between two harder ones, probably as blocks and brittle kurkar; apparently the roof an extension of a natural cavity, and is kidney collapsed partially during the period of use. shaped. An unworked block, protruding from The location and distribution of the artifacts the rear wall to the center of the cave, had been below and above the collapsed layer in the left to support the roof, thus subdividing the eastern compartment reflect an attempt to clear cave into eastern and western compartments. the collapse from the northern part, to push The floor was adjusted to the lower, harder bed, the artifacts to its rear section, and to use the descending northward toward the entrance, rearranged compartment for new burials. The which was destroyed during modern road collapse in the western compartment was left development works. The cave’s roof collapsed untouched, and only a reduced area at its front in antiquity, most probably in the Chalcolithic had been reused for burials over the collapsed period, covering its contents. Drifted soil material (Fig. 3). A final collapse subsequently accumulated over the collapsed kurkar; took place, protecting the artifacts in situ.3 46 YOSEF PORATH Plan 1. Plan and sections of the Ma‘abarot cave and its artifacts. CHALCOLITHIC BURIAL SITES AT MA‘ABAROT AND TEL IFSHAR 47 Fig. 2. Ma‘abarot cave, a group of ossuaries on the western side of the western compartment (early phase), looking west. Fig. 4. Ma‘abarot cave, chest-shaped ossuary (No. 792-424) surrounded by ‘bone heaps’ in the eastern compartment (late phase). Fig. 3. Ma‘abarot cave, a house-shaped ossuary and two krater ossuaries. The Burials All the burials in the cave were secondary. The skeletal remains were placed in ceramic vessels Fig. 5. Ma‘abarot cave, chest-shaped ossuary (No. 792-424) surrounded by ‘bone heaps’ in the eastern of the three categories classified by Perrot and compartment (late phase), looking east. Ladiray (1980:28–39; and see below): house- shaped ossuaries, chest-shaped ossuaries and large domestic kraters (either plain or especially modeled)—or collected in ‘bone heaps,’ i.e., mentioned classification. Of the 63 burials an accumulation of human bones, usually the identified, 42 were in ceramic ossuaries and 21 long bones, crowned by a skull. It seems that in ‘bone heaps’. Each of the ossuaries and the the ‘bone heaps’ were originally arranged in ‘bone heaps’ contained the remains of at least an organic container, later decomposed, of a one skeleton, but no more than two. The ‘bone function similar to that of the ossuaries, thus heap’ burial was the prevailing type in the later providing a fourth category to the above- phase (Figs. 4, 5), while ceramic ossuaries 48 YOSEF PORATH were the most common in the earlier phase. Such bowls were found at Chalcolithic sites It seems that the increasing number of ‘bone all over the country (such as Hadera—Sukenik heap’ burials reflected a change in the burial 1937: Fig. 6:a–c; Bene Beraq—Ory 1946: Fig. tradition. A similar phenomenon, though less 2:3, 4 and Kaplan 1963: Fig. 9:11–13; Meser— pronounced, was also noticed at Azor (Perrot Dothan 1959b:21, Fig. 5:1; Nahal Qana cave— 1961: Pl. II:5). Gopher and Tsuk 1996: Fig. 4.1; Kissufim Based on the postcranial and dental remains Road—Goren and Fabian 2002: Fig. 4.1:1–7; of 58 of the individuals that were identified, Be’er Sheva‘—Dothan 1959a: Figs. 7:1–3, males predominate (See n. 6 below; and cf. 12:7–22; Perrot 1955: Fig. 16:10; de Contenson Agelarakis et al. 1998 for full details). 1956: Fig. 6:7, 8; Nahal Mishmar—Bar-Adon 1980: Nos. 25–38; Fasa’el—Porath 1985: Fig. 3:1–3). The Finds The finds consisted of pottery vessels, ceramic Fenestrated Bowls (Fig. 6:11–13).— Some ossuaries of various shapes and sizes and a flake fragments of fenestrated bowls were uncovered from a flint digging tool. in the cave. This vessel is relatively rare at Ma‘abarot, compared to its high frequency The Pottery Vessels at other Chalcolithic burial caves excavated The general pottery repertoire uncovered in the along the coastal plain (Hadera—Sukenik cave is composed of typical Chalcolithic shapes, 1937: Fig. 7; Bene Beraq—Kaplan 1963: Fig although limited in variety and fabric. It consists 9:10; Azor—Perrot 1961: Fig. 38; Palmahim— primarily of V-shaped bowls, fenestrated bowls and bottles. The miniature amphoriskos, the vase and the ‘composed fenestrated bowl’ are exceptions. It should be mentioned that two Fig. 6 very characteristic vessels of the Chalcolithic No. vessel Reg. No. repertoire—the cornet and the churn—are 1 V-shaped bowl 792-33 absent from the Ma‘abarot cave. 2 V-shaped bowl 792-513 The V-shaped bowls were made of well- 3 V-shaped bowl 792-237 levigated clay, with sandy grits, and were well 4 V-shaped bowl 792-236 fired. The other vessels included many grits 5 V-shaped bowl 792-17 ranging in size from less than 1 mm to 3 mm; 6 V-shaped bowl 792-222 their firing produced a much softer pottery and 7 V-shaped bowl 792-71 many were uncovered in a crumbling state. 8 V-shaped bowl 792-517 9 V-shaped bowl 792-213 V-Shaped Bowls (Fig. 6:1–10).— This is the 10 V-shaped bowl 792-5 most popular form of vessel uncovered in the 11 Fenestrated bowl 792-442 cave. More than 25 bowls were found, most of 12 Fenestrated bowl 792-33 them very small (max. rim diam. 15 cm) and 13 Fenestrated bowl 792-60 crudely produced (Fig. 6:1–9); only a few are 14 Composed fenestrated bowl 792-221 small (rim diam. 15–25 cm) or medium-sized 15 Bottle 792-514 (rim diam. 25–40 cm; Fig. 6:10). The bases 16 Bottle 792-2 are flat, the body is flared and the rim is sharp 17 Bottle 792-235 or rounded. The body inclination varies from straight to slightly concave on one hand and 18 Bottle 792-235 to slightly convex on the other. Several are 19 Amphoriskos 792-61 decorated with a red-painted band on the rim. 20 Miniature vase 792-267 CHALCOLITHIC BURIAL SITES AT MA‘ABAROT AND TEL IFSHAR 49 5 2 1 3 4 6 8 9 7 10 11 12 13 0 10 15 16 17 18 14 19 20 Fig. 6. Finds from Ma‘abarot. 50 YOSEF PORATH Gophna and Lifshitz 1980:4); in Upper Galilee between the two sections of the base. It is the (Peqi‘in—Gal, Smithline and Shalem 1997: single complete published example to date; Fig. 6); in the Be’er Sheva‘ sites (de Contenson fragments of a similar one were uncovered at 1956: Fig. 10:7, 8); and the Judean Desert (‘En Azor (Perrot and Ladiray 1980: Fig. 70:14). Gedi—Ussishkin 1980: Fig. 7:1–9). Bottles (Fig. 6:15–18).— Although represented Composed Fenestrated Bowl (Fig. 6:14; see at Ma‘abarot cave, this type is not very common also English Cover).— This is a unique vessel in the pottery repertoire of Chalcolithic burials. composed of three parts: the typical V-shaped Most of the bottles were crudely manufactured bowl topping a high cylindrical base with two and lack decoration. Bottle 6:15 was decorated rows of openings (three in each row) resembling with red horizontal bands on the upper neck a double, fenestrated trumpet base, and three (the rim proper was not preserved) and on the very small V-shaped bowls added at the junction body. Two similar bottles were unearthed at 1 2 3 4 0 10 Fig. 7. Large krater-ossuaries: (1) Reg. No. 792-739; (2) Reg. No. 792-251; (3) Reg. No. 792-110; (4) Reg. No. 792-744. CHALCOLITHIC BURIAL SITES AT MA‘ABAROT AND TEL IFSHAR 51 Fig. 9. Close-up of a krater ossuary. Fig. 8. Large krater-ossuaries during excavation; general view of the western compartment (early phase), looking west. Palmahim (Gophna and Lifshitz 1980:4, Fig. 4:9) and Kissufim Road (Goren and Fabian 2002: Fig. 4.4:1, 2). Miniature Amphoriskos (Fig. 6:19).— With two vertical lug handles and horizontal red-painted bands, it is similar in shape to the full-sized examples (de Contenson 1956: Fig.