Burial Practices at the Submerged Pre-Pottery Neolithic C Site of Atlit-Yam, Northern Coast of Israel

This paper presents burial customs at Atlit-Yam, a Pre-Pottery Neolithic C (8170-7460 B.P.; 7253-6212 cal B.C.) settlement submerged off the Carmel coast of Israel. This is the first Pre-Pottery Neolithic C (PPNC) site on the Mediterranean coast to yield a significant number of human burials. Human bones were revealed in 91 different locations at the site, of which 46 were recognized as graves dug into the clay. Most burials (70 percent) were located in specific areas, adjacent to walls or installations. No grave showed evidence of stone construction or surface marking. Grave goods were found in 15 burials. Important elements of Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (PPNB) burial practices such as plastered skulls were not seen in Atlit-Yam. This possibly reflects a new world view and may have to do with the disintegration of the PPNB cultural system and the rise of localized small-scale, well-adapted communities in the PPNC. Reprinted by permission of the publisher.