Pre-Pottery Neolithic Burial Essay

The Pre-Pottery Neolithic period was the very earliest period of the Neolithic in the Near East and Levant. Much can be discovered about this period in time by excavating archaeological sites and examining what has been preserved such as architecture and other physical materials. One aspect of these excavations that are particularly fascinating are the burial practices that prevailed within these sites throughout the Pre-Pottery Neolithic. There were many burial similarities, as well as differences, throughout this period of time and across the expanse of the Near East. These distinctions can be seen within an examination of the Pre-Pottery Neolithic site Atlit Yam and through a comparison of this site and another within the Pre-Pottery Neolithic, Catal Huyuk. Burial practices are relevant as well as significant for the study of Archaeology because the dead can offer a direct link to the past and show evidence for how people once lived. This evidence can appear in countless ways, from the location and method of which the bodies were buried to the specific objects were placed in the graves alongside the bodies. As Galili wrote: “The excavation of Atlit-Yam has uncovered a wealth of burials and human remains and provides an opportunity to shed light on this …show more content…
In fact, there were 91 total locations, however, the additional locations contained only parts of a skeleton such as bone fragments, so the 46 burials were used for the majority of the investigation into the burial customs at Atlit Yam. From these 46 burial sites, 63 individuals were discovered and studied. These burials and skeletons displayed the necessary data so as to exhibit the facts needed to make inferences about the burial practices that were occurring during this late stage of the Pre-Pottery