The human skeletal remains and their context

Human skeletal remains from Wadi Hammeh 27 were discovered in four distinct settings. The first and most significant set of remains comprised a primary inhumation dug into basal travertine, underneath Structure 1 (Phase 4 in Plot XX F, Fig. 3.30). The second involved a partially-preserved multiple burial located underneath Structure 2 (Phase 4 in Plot XX J), found eroding from the Plateau's western cliff-face. The third consisted of fragmentary skeletal remains, principally burnt cranial fragments, scattered throughout the Phase 1 deposits of the Main excavation area. Finally, human remains of indeterminate date, ('Phase 0' and possibly Natufian) were deposited in a pit that was dug into the uppermost Phase 1 deposits (Fig 15.1). Here, the skeletal morphology and pathology of the remains are described. Consideration is also given to a range of dietary and health indicators, and the cultural and mortuary contexts of the remains (Webb and Edwards 2002).