An intermediate bronze age cemetery at Qanat el-Ja"ar, near 'En Ha-Naziv

During May-June 2006 and periodically in January-May 2008, excavations were conducted at Qanat el-Ja"ar, located on the slope situated between the upper and middle terraces overlooking the Bet She'an Valley, near Kibbutz 'En Ha-Naziv (map. ref. 24796- 800/70900-20; Fig. 1). Four rock-hewn caves dating to the Intermediate Bronze Age were excavated (T100-103; Plan 1). The reconstruction of the tomb plans (Plans 2-5; Figs. 2-8) reveals that all the tombs had a vertical shaft, either circular or square. At the bottom of the shaft was a rectangular or trapezoidal passage that led to a burial chamber; a stone blocked the opening between the passage and the tomb chamber (Figs. 6, 7). The tomb chambers are oval, measuring between 8 and 9 sq m; their floors were leveled bedrock. The walls and the ceilings (c. 1.8 m high) were rounded. The accompanying burial goods included large quantities of pottery vessels (Figs. 9-12), among them unique forms, such as threenozzled lamps. Most of the pottery vessels were decorated with red paint and applied plastic decorations. Burial goods also included a stone pebble anthropomorphic figurine of a woman and a stone bead (Fig. 13), as well as metal finds, such as spearheads and a sword with a metal covered pommel (Figs. 14, 15). The findspots of the articulated skeletons (see Nagar, this volume) provide evidence for repeated primary burial in a flexed position.