Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (11.1999(2000))

TELL QARAMEL

SYRIA

length, and from 93 cm wide at the north-
ern end to 210 cm at the southern one in
width; the height is c. 160 cm. The ceiling
was made of seven large blocks of stone,
the first on the south and the only unbro-
ken one measuring 165 cm in length.
The walls were constructed of six or
sometimes seven layers of stones (Fig. 8),
each overhanging the previous one in
a kind of false vault. The northern wall
around the doorway was built of two
oblong slabs, mounted vertically, the
entrance space in between blocked from
the outside with a huge flat block (158 x
113 x 36 cm). The considerable weight of
the walls has deformed the floor, which has
two layers (20-25 cm thick) covered with

a compact calcareous plaster. Two pits cut
through this floor, one at the original door
and another near the secondary entrance,
i.e., in the southern part. It is to be sus-
pected that the pits are evidence of modern
robbery of the tomb.
There were two burials presumably
deposited in the center of the chamber.
However, many of the bones are not in
anatomical order (Fig. 9). The skeletons,
which take up most of the chamber's
width, belong to a juvenile individual and
a child;9) the latter's bones seem to be con-
centrated more to the northeast, between
bowl no. 2 and miniature jar no. 11. Many
variously shaped beads, made of crystal,
carnelian, alabaster, calcite, calcareous, red


Fig. 8. Tomb 1. View of the chamber from the south
(Photo R. F. Mazurowski)

9) Anthropological examination of the bones is planned for the future.

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