New discoveries in a Nabataean tomb. Burial practices and 'plant jewellery' in ancient Hegra (Madâ'in Sâlih, Saudi Arabia)

The excavation of tomb IGN 117 in Madâ’in Sâlih, ancient Hegra, in Saudi Arabia, produced a large amount of bones, objects and materials (leather, fabric, fruit, wood, amorphous organic substances) of the Nabataean‐Roman period (first to early fourth century AD). Two pieces of fabric and leather are...

Full description

Saved in:

Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Arabian archaeology and epigraphy Vol. 26; no. 1; pp. 28 - 42
Main Authors:	Bouchaud, C., Sachet, I., Dal Prà, P., Delhopital, N., Douaud, R., Leguilloux, M.
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Malden Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-05-2015 Wiley Subscription Services, Inc Wiley
Subjects:	Arabian Peninsula Archaeology and Prehistory date palm funerary practices Humanities and Social Sciences Nabataean-Roman period plant jewellery Date Palm abataean-Roman period Arabian Peninsula Funerary practices plant jewellery
Online Access:	Get full text
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!

Description
Summary:	The excavation of tomb IGN 117 in Madâ’in Sâlih, ancient Hegra, in Saudi Arabia, produced a large amount of bones, objects and materials (leather, fabric, fruit, wood, amorphous organic substances) of the Nabataean‐Roman period (first to early fourth century AD). Two pieces of fabric and leather are of particular interest because they contained pierced dates (Phoenix dactylifera) strung together using date‐palm leaflets. These exceptional discoveries are poorly attested in Near Eastern funerary contexts. Together with other data from Madâ’in Sâlih, the southern Near East and Egypt, this interdisciplinary analysis leads to the reconstruction of part of the funerary practices related to the preservation and preparation of the body that occurred in tomb IGN 117. Finally, the analysis allows the questioning of the symbolic role of plant jewellery and the date palm in a funerary context.
Bibliography:	istex:43CED3C9D5EEF314F90B497EEDAE78DA98FFCEC9 ark:/67375/WNG-R7V9NHXJ-3 ArticleID:AAE12047
ISSN:	0905-7196 1600-0471
DOI:	10.1111/aae.12047