Page 52 - TINA Dergi Sayi 10

TINA

Denizcilik Arkeolojisi Dergisi

Excavating water-wells. The PPNC wells at At- checked the sediment that entered the collecting box.
lit-Yam (Fig. 13) and Pottery Neolithic wells from After every spit the excavated material was filled in
Kfar Samir (Fig. 14) shed light on the initial stages of tagged bags, lifted by air bags and transferred to the
ground water exploitation along the Southern Levan- coast laboratory for processing.
tine littoral. The fill of the wells contains un-disturbed Excavating in-situ Human Burials. The loose
and well-preserved cultural deposits providing vast sediment overlaying the burial was removed. Before
amount of information. Given the depth of the well excavation of the archaeological deposits of the buri-
shaft that penetrates the seabed, special precautions al, the following features were documented: grave
and methods were used. The diver who was excavat- type (built tomb, simple pit, stone-lined pit etc.),
ing, either knelt inside the well or, if the space was burial type (primary, secondary, disturbed primary,
too narrow, was positioned upright with his head fac- scattered remains), grave location relative to other
ing down (Figs. 15-16). The well fill was dug manual- site features and evidence for ritual activities . The
49
ly using a spatula or a trowel, assisted by the dredger, palaeosol around the bones was then removed using
which was operated in low capacity. Every 10 cm a flat spatula and/or a trowel, until most of the upper
spit was excavated separately, with all finds placed in surface of the skeleton was exposed. The position
marked plastic bottles or bags. In every such 10 cm of the body was documented (flexed, semi-flexed or
spit, a core sample of the undisturbed sediment was straight) as was the orientation of the body and head.
taken, to be checked for pollen, phytoliths, small fau- The skeleton was then measured, drawn and pho-
nal remains and for sediment analysis. As the excava- tographed (Fig. 18). In all skeletons with the pelvic
tion of the well deepened, metal rings were installed region preserved, a sediment core sample was taken
at 0.7 m intervals to prevent collapsing of the walls for analysis of food residues and palaeo-parasitology
(Fig. 17). For safety, the excavating diver was accom- (Fig. 19). The skeleton was removed bone by bone
panied by a second diver who stayed at the well head and placed in a solid container, rather than in a sin-
and assisted with hauling up finds and debris (such gle block. Skulls were placed in a separate container
as stones larger than 5 cm that the dredger could not surrounded by fine sand to minimize movement when
lift) using a lifting box fixed to a rope. The dredging transferring them ashore. In case the excavation was
system was continuously operated for removing the stopped before the skeleton was removed, the in situ
excavated material and clear the murky water. The remains were covered by plastic sheets and sand bags
dredger’s exhaust was manned by a third diver who (Fig. 20).

Fig. 12: Kfar Samir
yerleşmesindeki kuyu-
nun açığa çıkması, ya-
kın plan görünümü. (J.
Benjamin)
Fig. 12: Exposing the
well at Kfar Samir site,
a close look. (J. Benja-
min)

49 GALILI et al. 1993, 2005b, 2017d.

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