A team of archaeologists has discovered a tomb at the Neolithic site of Çemka Höyük, located in the Upper Tigris Basin in Turkey. This tomb dates back to the 10th millennium BC and contains the remains of a woman who may have been a shaman or a figure of spiritual significance in her community.
The burial, labeled as ÇH 2019/05, was discovered alongside a collection of animal skeletal elements, including a cattle skull, bones of a small ruminant, a partridge bone, a canine bone, and a marten bone, which were carefully arranged around the woman’s body.
These findings suggest a connection between humans and animals that could be related to shamanic or animistic practices of the time. The tomb stands out as one of the oldest of its kind found in Anatolia, offering new insight into the funerary practices of the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A (PPNA) period.
In recent years, an increasing number of excavations in the Upper Tigris Basin have provided a clearer view of the funerary customs of the PPNA period.
Recent findings have revealed a significant variety of funerary practices, which vary from one site to another.
However, what makes the Çemka Höyük tomb particularly notable is the diversity of animal remains found alongside the woman, suggesting a unique ritual practice.
The practice of including animal remains in human burials is not common in all PPNA sites, indicating variability in the cultural and spiritual practices of different communities.
In some sites, such as Körtik Tepe and Hasankeyf Höyük, skeletons with traces of paint have been found, while in other places, like Hallan Çemi, the absence of human remains indicates a difference in funerary practices within the same region.
The discovery of the tomb at Çemka Höyük represents a significant advancement in Neolithic archaeology in the Near East and underscores the importance of Çemka Höyük as a key site for understanding the development of funerary practices and spiritual beliefs in the early Neolithic period.
SOURCES
Ergül Kodaş, Abu B. Siddiq, et al., A “shaman” burial from the PPNA settlement of Çemka Höyük, Upper Tigris Basin, Turkiye. L’Anthropologie, July 2024, 103277. doi.org/10.1016/j.anthro.2024.103277
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