Life, death, and the destruction of architecture: Hunter-gatherer mortuary behaviors in prehistoric Jordan

• Published in: Journal of anthropological archaeology 2021-03, Vol.61, p.101262, Article 101262
• Main Authors: Maher, Lisa A., Macdonald, Danielle A., Pomeroy, Emma, Stock, Jay T.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Architecture; Burial; Epipalaeolithic; Hunter-gatherer; Jordan; Mortuary practices
• ISSN: 0278-4165; 1090-2686
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jaa.2020.101262

•Intact structures are extremely rare in the Early Epipalaeolithic.•Huts at Kharaneh IV indicate structured use of space, including for disposal of the dead.•The placing of a corpse on top of a house floor suggests an early connection between the dead and architecture.•Burning of the hut and its contents connects human death with the destruction of architecture.•This treatment of the dead was previously known only from the Neolithic.•Here we see an early expression of cremation-like practices and symbolic use of the built environment. The end of the Pleistocene in Southwest Asia is widely known for the emergence of socially-complex hunter-gatherers—the Natufians—characterized by a rich material culture record, including elaborate burials. In comparison, human interments that predate the Natufian are rare. The discovery and excavation of a hut structure at the 20,000-year-old Epipalaeolithic site of Kharaneh IV in eastern Jordan reveals the remains of an adult female intentionally placed in a semi-flexed position on one of the structure’s floors. The structure was burned down shortly after her deposition, extensively charring the human remains. The burying of the dead within structures and the burning of domestic structures are well-known from later Neolithic periods, although their combination as a mortuary practice is rare. However, for the Early Epipalaeolithic, the burning of a structure containing the primary deposition of human remains is novel and signifies an early appearance for the intentional burning of bodies as a mortuary treatment and symbolic behaviors associated with the interrelated life histories of structures and people.