DOI Artikel:
Saito, Kiyohide: Female burial practices in Palmyra: some observations from the underground tombs
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.26423#0290
Kiyohide Saito
around the city: North, Southwest, and Southeast, as well as the Valley of the Tombs. Tower tombs,
underground tombs and house tombs were the principal types of sepulchres [Fig. 1 inset],
Since 1990 there has been a steady accumulation of evidence, both archeological and physical
anthropological, concerning burials in the underground tombs of the Southeast Necropolis of
Palmyra explored by the Japanese Mission. This paper focuses on female mortuary practices as
reflected by finds coming from four underground tombs of the 2nd century AD: C (Tomb of
YRHY), F (Tomb of BWRP and BWLH), E and H (Tomb of TYBL) [Figs 1, 2]. The research has
a threefold objective: firstly, characteristics of burial than can help to identify juvenile burials as
female; secondly, the essentially feminine character that can be inferred from the accompanying
grave goods; thirdly, the location of female burials in the tombs of Palmyra.
The principal form of burial in Palmyra are tiers of loculi, the niches installed successively one
above the other, from bottom to top. This is an important source of data for understanding family
burial seąuences. It will play an important role in the reconstruction of the circumstances of female
burial in Palmyrene mortuary practices.
2. Research on the underground tombs in Palmyra
Palmyrene mortuary practices were first studied by H. Ingholt (1935) and R. Amy and H. Seyrig
(1936), as well as others in the 1930s. Fundamental research was carried out on the epigraphic
sources and funerary sculptures. Archaeological investigations of the tombs in Palmyra were con-
ducted by Polish and German expeditions, resulting especially in M. Gawlikowski^ study (1970)
and A. Schmidt-ColineTs research (1992). Many tombs have been excavated sińce the 1950s, pro-
ducing some observations on the human remains. The Syrian authorities cleared ten underground
tombs as part of a gas pipeline construction project in the Southeast Necropolis in the 1950s and
1960s (Browning 1979). In one of these tombs, that of Taai, S. Abdul-Hak (1952) investigated the
correspondence between burials identified to sex and the funerary busts closing the burial niches,
but the results were not univocal in view of the fact that there were multiple burials of mixed sex
in the various loculi. Extensive excavation of an underground tomb in the Baalshamin sanctuary
by a Swiss mission during the same period brought to light several burials (Fellman 1970), without
reporting, however, on the sex of the skeletal remains in the loculi. The Polish mission reported
some burials of women and infants in the Tomb of Zabda, which is situated in the Valley of the
Tombs (Michałowski 1960). Despite robbing and destruction, tomb 36 in the Valley of the Tombs,
investigated by a German mission, produced a number of human burials, which were subjected
to physical anthropological examination (Schmidt-Colinet [ed.] 1992). P. Caselitz (1992) noted that
female burials exceeded małe ones in number and that there was a large number of child burials,
but no particulars were ever published.
Between 1990 and 2004 the Japanese mission carried out excavations of four underground
tombs and a house tomb in the Southeast Necropolis. Palmyrene burial practices observed as a re-
sult of these excavations have been discussed by K. Saito (2001; 2005) and female burial practices
have been referred to cursorily in various articles. It has been noted especially that the dead in
Palmyra were generally not accompanied by grave goods (Saito 1998; 2001; 2005).1 This paper
brings morę details on female burial practices in Palmyra,2 based on data mainly from the four
underground tombs unearthed by the Japanese mission in the Southeast Necropolis.
1 A. Bounni (1980) and D. Piacentird (2005) pointed out the rareness and insignificance of grave goods accompanying
the dead.
2 To datę, D. Piacentini (2005) has reconstructed five stages of the Palmyrene funerary ceremony and T. Kaizer (2010)
has presented a generał idea of the Palmyrene mortuary practices.
288
Studia Palmyreńskie XII
around the city: North, Southwest, and Southeast, as well as the Valley of the Tombs. Tower tombs,
underground tombs and house tombs were the principal types of sepulchres [Fig. 1 inset],
Since 1990 there has been a steady accumulation of evidence, both archeological and physical
anthropological, concerning burials in the underground tombs of the Southeast Necropolis of
Palmyra explored by the Japanese Mission. This paper focuses on female mortuary practices as
reflected by finds coming from four underground tombs of the 2nd century AD: C (Tomb of
YRHY), F (Tomb of BWRP and BWLH), E and H (Tomb of TYBL) [Figs 1, 2]. The research has
a threefold objective: firstly, characteristics of burial than can help to identify juvenile burials as
female; secondly, the essentially feminine character that can be inferred from the accompanying
grave goods; thirdly, the location of female burials in the tombs of Palmyra.
The principal form of burial in Palmyra are tiers of loculi, the niches installed successively one
above the other, from bottom to top. This is an important source of data for understanding family
burial seąuences. It will play an important role in the reconstruction of the circumstances of female
burial in Palmyrene mortuary practices.
2. Research on the underground tombs in Palmyra
Palmyrene mortuary practices were first studied by H. Ingholt (1935) and R. Amy and H. Seyrig
(1936), as well as others in the 1930s. Fundamental research was carried out on the epigraphic
sources and funerary sculptures. Archaeological investigations of the tombs in Palmyra were con-
ducted by Polish and German expeditions, resulting especially in M. Gawlikowski^ study (1970)
and A. Schmidt-ColineTs research (1992). Many tombs have been excavated sińce the 1950s, pro-
ducing some observations on the human remains. The Syrian authorities cleared ten underground
tombs as part of a gas pipeline construction project in the Southeast Necropolis in the 1950s and
1960s (Browning 1979). In one of these tombs, that of Taai, S. Abdul-Hak (1952) investigated the
correspondence between burials identified to sex and the funerary busts closing the burial niches,
but the results were not univocal in view of the fact that there were multiple burials of mixed sex
in the various loculi. Extensive excavation of an underground tomb in the Baalshamin sanctuary
by a Swiss mission during the same period brought to light several burials (Fellman 1970), without
reporting, however, on the sex of the skeletal remains in the loculi. The Polish mission reported
some burials of women and infants in the Tomb of Zabda, which is situated in the Valley of the
Tombs (Michałowski 1960). Despite robbing and destruction, tomb 36 in the Valley of the Tombs,
investigated by a German mission, produced a number of human burials, which were subjected
to physical anthropological examination (Schmidt-Colinet [ed.] 1992). P. Caselitz (1992) noted that
female burials exceeded małe ones in number and that there was a large number of child burials,
but no particulars were ever published.
Between 1990 and 2004 the Japanese mission carried out excavations of four underground
tombs and a house tomb in the Southeast Necropolis. Palmyrene burial practices observed as a re-
sult of these excavations have been discussed by K. Saito (2001; 2005) and female burial practices
have been referred to cursorily in various articles. It has been noted especially that the dead in
Palmyra were generally not accompanied by grave goods (Saito 1998; 2001; 2005).1 This paper
brings morę details on female burial practices in Palmyra,2 based on data mainly from the four
underground tombs unearthed by the Japanese mission in the Southeast Necropolis.
1 A. Bounni (1980) and D. Piacentird (2005) pointed out the rareness and insignificance of grave goods accompanying
the dead.
2 To datę, D. Piacentini (2005) has reconstructed five stages of the Palmyrene funerary ceremony and T. Kaizer (2010)
has presented a generał idea of the Palmyrene mortuary practices.
288
Studia Palmyreńskie XII