A Mother and Child Reunion? An Unusual Ottoman-Period Bedouin Pit Grave at Rahat, the Northern Negev
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The skeletal remains of two individuals were found in a pit grave at Rahat, in the Northern Negev desert, dated to the Ottoman period.They were identified as a primary burial of a female, 30-50 years old, superposed by a secondary burial of a child, 10-15 years old.Anthropological studies of skeletal remains dated to the Ottoman period in Israel/Palestine are numerous, yet the secluded location of this grave and the intentional secondary burial, which are foreign to Islamic burial traditions, called for special attention.This paper presents a comprehensive anthropological analysis of the skeletal remains, incorporating information on bioanthropology and burial practices.We consider that the child's bones were deliberately placed atop the articulated skeleton of the woman (possibly his or her mother), sometime after her death.
Source: Atiqot
Institution: Israel Antiquities Authority
Language: English
Subfield: Archeology
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4409869218