Bioarchaeology of North Jordan
Wadi Natfieh 2007
Summary of Excavations
Wadi Natfieh
The 13th season of the joint Bioarchaeology of North Jordan project continued the search for and excavation of tombs along the eastern escarpment of Wadi Natfieh, just southwest of Irbid City (Irbid District) between 620 and 695 meters above sea level. The 2007 field season was the second season at Wadi Natfieh for the project co-sponsored by the University of Arkansas and Yarmouk University. The research goals for this season were: 1) to locate and excavate single person horizontal shaft tomb; 2) ascertain the dating of this tomb type; 3) reconstruct the burial program for the people buried in these tombs.
The Project Staff
Back Row: Tamara Chesshir, Jessica Kinsey, Adam Jones, Andrew Parker, Hadeel Ghanem, Heyam Al Akhrass
Middle Row: Abdel Arouf, Ali al-Rahabneh, Faris Bdeir, Mahmoud El-Najjar, Dolores Burke, Jerry Rose, Muwafaq Al-Bataineh
Front Row Sondra Setterington, Candice Elliot, Henee Lim, Michelle L’Archeveque, Erin Miller
| Project Staff:
Jerome C. Rose– Director Mahmoud El-Najjar– Director Dolores Burke– Registrar Muwafaq Al-Bataineh– Surveyor, Field Director Faris Bdeir– Field Coordinator Husein Debajeh– Photographer (not pictured) Ali al-Rahabneh– Assistant Archaeologist Abdel Arouf– Inspector 14 Jordanian Workers (not pictured) |
Students (USA):
Tamara Chesshir Candice Elliot Adam Jones Jessica Kinsey Michelle L’Archeveque Henee Lim Erin Miller Andrew Parker Sondra Setterington |
Students (Jordan):
Heyam Al Akhrass Hadeel Ghanem
|
Report
The 13th season of the joint Bioarchaeology of North Jordan project continued the search for and excavation of tombs along the eastern escarpment of Wadi Natfieh, just southwest of Irbid City (Irbid District) between 620 and 695 meters above sea level. The 2007 field season was the second season at Wadi Natfieh for the project co-sponsored by the University of Arkansas and Yarmouk University. The research goals for this season were: 1) to locate and excavate single person horizontal shaft tomb; 2) ascertain the dating of this tomb type; 3) reconstruct the burial program for the people buried in these tombs.
The 2007 season investigated a 75 meter long section of the east wadi slope between 647 and 660 meters above sea level. The investigation resulted in the location of three rows of tombs, 32 of which were excavated. Of the excavated tombs, 30 were horizontal shaft tombs whose burial chamber is approximately the same width as the entrance. The burial chambers averaged 117 cm in length, 76 cm in width, and 99 cm in height. The remaining two excavated tombs were horizontal chamber tombs, both of which had previously been looted. These tombs averaged 316 cm by 296 cm. The position and condition of the skeletal remains and personal objects indicate that at least nine tombs had never been looted. Nine tombs produced complete personal objects while seven tombs exhibited undisturbed skeletal remains. The burial positions are known for nine of the tombs: five supine extended with heads to the rear of the chamber, two on their side with heads to the rear, and two extended with their heads to the door. Four of the tombs contained more than one individual. Two of these contained multiple adults while the other two contained an adult and a juvenile.
The skeletal remains were transported to the Anthropology Laboratories at Yarmouk University for cleaning and analysis. Analysis of skeletal remains yielded information about twenty tombs. The remains of nine males and four females were identified. Four of the males were between twenty and 35 years of age and four were between 35 and 50 years of age. One male was of indeterminate age. Three of the females were between twenty and 35 years of age and one was between 35 and 50 years of age. Five sub-adults were identified with the youngest being between 1.5 and 3.0 years of age.
All objects recovered during excavation were brought to the Yarmouk University conservation laboratories for cleaning and identification. Nearly intact or fractured objects, but identified as complete in the field, include: one copper alloy coin, three copper alloy bracelets, one silver finger ring, one copper alloy earring, one copper alloy bell, four beads, three Cowrie shells, three glass vases, four beads, one stone projectile point, and one restored glass cup. Comparison of the tomb types and the objects found within them suggests that all of the horizontal shaft tombs date to the Late Roman period.
At the request of the landowners, the tomb doors were blocked with stones and the entrances filled with earth at the end of the field season. As these tombs are being looted on a daily basis, the excavation and salvage of both objects and skeletal remains should continue. This site has yet to develop any tourist potential.
Tombs
Tomb 27:
Tomb 27 is a horizontal chamber with no features. Length is 2,910 mm, width is 2,930 mm, and height is 2,050 mm. It is a robbed-out tomb, but with sufficient scattered skeletal fragments to indicate a male occupant aged 20 to 30 years. The tomb contained 2 glass shards as well as modern trash.
Tomb 28:
Tomb 28 is a horizontal shaft tomb, with a stone cut grave in the floor. Length is 890 mm, width is 620 mm, and height is 1,190 mm. Skeletal fragments indicate a child aged 8 to 11 years. The tomb contained no artifacts but did contain modern trash.
Tomb 29:
Tomb 29 is a horizontal shaft tomb that is 2,000 mm long, 700 mm wide, and 1,000 mm in height. The tomb was robbed-out but did contain skeletal fragments, 2 glass shards, and modern trash.
Tomb 30:
Tomb 30 is a horizontal shaft tomb that is 1,795 mm long, 552 mm wide, and 945 mm in height. Scattered skeletal fragments indicate two adults, one aged 20 to 35 and the other aged 35 to 50 years. The tomb contained one glass shard and modern trash.
Tomb 31:
Tomb 28 is a horizontal shaft tomb, with a stone cut grave in the floor. Length is 890 mm, width is 620 mm, and height is 1,190 mm. Skeletal fragments indicate a child aged 8 to 11 years. The tomb contained no artifacts but did contain modern trash.
Tomb 32:
Tomb 29 is a horizontal shaft tomb that is 2,000 mm long, 700 mm wide, and 1,000 mm in height. The tomb was robbed-out but did contain skeletal fragments, 2 glass shards, and modern trash.
Tomb 33:
Tomb 33 is a horizontal shaft tomb that is 2,030 mm long, 780 mm wide, and 850 mm in height. The tomb contained a complete skeleton, in extended position, of a female aged 20 to 35 years: the skeleton showed signs of two episodes of childhood stress. The tomb produced a rim of a glass vessel and a copper alloy coin, but no modern trash.
Tomb 34:
Tomb 34 is a horizontal shaft tomb that is 2,100 mm long, 700 mm wide, and 850 mm in height. The tomb held partial and scattered remains of an adult aged 35 to 50 years. The tomb contained no artifacts and no modern trash.
Tomb 35:
Tomb 35 is a horizontal shaft tomb that is 2,100 mm long, 800 mm long, and 1,000 mm in height. The occupant was a possible male aged 20 to 35 years; buried in an extended position with head to the door. There were 3 bottles (all badly fragmented) and a bead in the tomb but no modern trash.
Tomb 36:
Tomb 36 is a horizontal shaft tomb that is 1,700 mm long, 740 mm wide, and 950 mm in height. Partial scattered remains of a male aged 20+ were found, along with modern trash; there were no artifacts.
Tomb 37:
Tomb 37 is a horizontal shaft tomb that is 1,100 mm long, 700 mm wide, and 750 mm in height. Fragments of an adult skeleton were found but no artifacts or modern trash was recovered.
Tomb 38:
Tomb 38 is a horizontal shaft tomb that is 2,000 mm long, 997 mm wide, and 1,060 mm in height. The tomb held the skeleton in extended position of a male aged 35 to 50 years. There were no artifacts or modern trash in the tomb.
Tomb 39:
Tomb 39 is a horizontal shaft tomb 1,860 mm long, 750 mm wide, and 975 mm in height. Skeletal remains include a partial femur and some leg bones of a male aged 20+. There were no artifacts or modern trash in the tomb.
Tomb 40:
Tomb 40 is a horizontal shaft tomb that is 1,350 mm long, 990 mm wide, and 1,040 mm in height. Complete skeleton of an adult male and child 18 months to 3 years. The tomb contained 3 Cowrie shells, a bead, a copper alloy bracelet, and a copper alloy bell. There was no modern trash.
Tomb 41:
Tomb 41 is a horizontal shaft tomb that is 2,400 mm long, 820 mm wide, and 710 mm in height. Fragmented skeleton of an adult male aged 35 to 50 years is in an extended position. There is no modern trash and the tomb contained a complete copper alloy bracelet, bracelet fragment, 2 glass shards, and one earring.
Tomb 42:
Tomb 42 is a horizontal shaft tomb that is 2130 mm long, 850 mm wide, and 710 mm in height. A complete 20 to 35 year old female is lying on her side and exhibits minor spinal arthritis. The tomb produced a bracelet around the humerus and a glass shard.
Tomb 43:
Tomb 43 is a horizontal shaft tomb that is 800 mm long, 690 mm wide, and 950 mm in height. The fragmented skeleton is a 6 to 9 year old child. No artifacts or modern trash were recovered.
Tomb 44:
Tomb 44 is a horizontal shaft tomb that is 1,840 mm long, 650 mm wide, and 1,040 mm in height. The skull is in situ and other bones are scattered of this 12 to 18 year old juvenile. No artifacts or modern trash were recovered.
Tomb 45:
Tomb 45 is a horizontal shaft tomb that is 1,700 mm long, 700 mm wide, and 950 mm in height. There is one human bone fragment from this robbed-out tomb. One glass shard was recovered.
Tomb 46a:
Tomb 46a is a horizontal shaft tomb whose dimensions have been distorted by robbery. The stacked femora show that there was once more than one individual. There is a fragmented, but now restored, glass cup.
Tomb 46b:
Tomb 46b is a horizontal shaft tomb which was excavated through a robber’s hole in the back of Tomb 46a. The bones of one 20 to 35 year old female and one 35 to 50 year old adult are comingled. An olive tree growing in the entrance prevented normal excavation. A niche in this tomb contained two burials that were added at a later time: one female aged between 20 and 35 years and a male aged between 35 and 50 years.
Tomb 47:
Tomb 47 is a horizontal shaft tomb that is 1,900 mm long, 650 mm wide, and 1,130 mm in height. This tomb had been completely robbed out and contained no skeletal remains, artifacts, or modern trash.
Tomb 48:
Tomb 48 is a horizontal shaft tomb that is 2,040 mm long, 950 mm wide, and 1,030 mm in height. An adult aged 20 to 35 years is in an extended position and the remains of a child aged 3 to 10 years were also found. There are also 2 beads and no modern trash.
Tomb 49:
Tomb 49 is a horizontal shaft tomb that is 1,500 mm long, 620 mm wide, and 1,000 mm in height. There is an extended but fragmented and disturbed skeleton with the right leg in place. A silver finger ring was found.
Tomb 50:
Tomb 50 is a horizontal shaft tomb that is 960 mm long, 750 mm wide, and 970 mm in height. There is an almost complete skeleton of a 35 to 50 year old male lying in an extended position on his right side. There were no artifacts or modern trash.
Tomb 51:
Tomb 51 is a robbed-out horizontal shaft tomb that is 867 mm wide while other dimensions were distorted by robbery. There were no skeletal remains, artifacts, or modern trash.
Tomb 52:
Tomb 52 is a horizontal chamber tomb with no features. It is 3,002 mm long, 3,400 mm wide, and an unknown height because the tomb was not excavated.
Tomb 53:
Tomb 53 is a horizontal shaft tomb that is 1,640 mm long, 540 mm wide, and of unknown height. It produced no skeletal remains, artifacts, or modern trash.
Tomb 54:
Tomb 54 is a horizontal shaft tomb that is 1,080 mm long, 800 mm wide, and of unknown height. It produced no skeletal remains, artifacts, or modern trash.
Tomb 55:
Tomb 55 is a horizontal shaft tomb that is 2,020 mm long, 785 mm wide, and 920 mm in height. It produced the bones of a 20 to a 25 year old adult thrown out into the entrance by robbers. There is an iron bracelet fragment and no modern trash.
Tomb 56:
Tomb 56 is a horizontal shaft tomb that is 2,000 mm long, 720 mm wide, and 990 mm in height. This tomb was completely robbed-out. It contained one human bone fragment, no artifacts, or modern trash.
Tomb 57:
Tomb 57 is a horizontal shaft tomb that is 1,800 long, 990 mm wide, and 1,060 mm in height. This is a completely robbed-out tomb. It contained no skeletal remains or artifacts but did exhibit modern trash.
Tomb 58:
Tomb 58 is a horizontal shaft that has been modified into vertical shaft tomb. It is 2,230 mm long, 720 mm wide, and 1,240 mm in height. The tomb was completely robbed-out and contained no skeletal remains or artifacts but did exhibit modern trash.