Iron Age Burial Customs in the Samaria Highlands

Abstract

The article presents all available archaeological data on Iron Age burial customs in the Samaria Highlands. During this period there were diverse burial practices in the region, including the use of natural caves that were enlarged for multiple burials, well-planned rock-cut tombs, inhumations and burials in tumuli, ‘bathtub’-shaped clay coffins and storage jars. The variety in types of rock-cut tombs and their distribution would appear to attest to the lack of consolidated burial traditions in the Northern Kingdom compared to Judah.

Keywords:

• Samaria
• Rock-cut tombs
• ‘Bathtub’-shaped coffins
• Burial customs
• Iron Age