Skeletons in the fortress: the Late Bronze Age burials of Tell Sabi Abyad, Syria

Abstract

The assemblage of Late Bronze Age burials from Tell Sabi Abyad provides us with a unique window into the burial customs of the burgeoning Middle Assyrian Empire in the former lands of Hanigalbat. Our understanding of the settlement is aided by the fact that the site has been more or less completely excavated, and because we have rich in situ contexts that include nearly 400 cuneiform tablets. The burial assemblage is remarkable because of the diverse nature of the burial customs attested at the site. This diversity can be seen in the different types of interment and in treatment of the body, as well as in the nature of the grave goods. In this paper, we will provide an overview of this diversity, and we will discuss what it can tell us about Middle Assyrian society at the site of Tell Sabi Abyad and beyond.