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Human Remains and Funerary Rites in the Phoenician Necropolis of Motya (Sicily)
Author(s) -
Lauria G.,
Sconzo P.,
Falsone G.,
Sineo L.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
international journal of osteoarchaeology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.738
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1099-1212
pISSN - 1047-482X
DOI - 10.1002/oa.2611
Subject(s) - phoenician , archaeology , excavation , taphonomy , ancient history , grave goods , geography , history
The aim of this paper is to examine the fresh evidence retrieved in the early cemetery or ‘archaic necropolis’ (eighth to sixth century bc ) on the island of Motya, one of the main Phoenician colonies in the Mediterranean. Because of its integrity and the large number of finds, the cemetery has been considered one of the most relevant sites for the study of early burial customs in the West. The absence of anthropological data, completely neglected in the past, was a major shortcoming of previous research. This failing is now being rectified by a new project of fieldwork and excavation undertaken on the island by a team from Palermo University. This report provides a close examination of the human remains from a group of 32 graves discovered during three seasons (2013–2015) in a combined archaeological and taphonomic perspective and contributes to shed light on the funerary practices of the Phoenicians in Sicily. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.