TOMB 50 at EL JIB

Tomb 50 was discovered by accident as a workman was cleaning the shaft of Tomb 31. The tomb's entrance remained blocked and all indications are that the tomb is undisturbed since it was sealed four millennia ago. There is, however, some evidence that water did seep into the tomb and perhaps some pottery may have moved slightly from their original locations. The tomb has a roundish chamber with a lamp niche near the entrance on the west wall. Two burials were discovered. The south burial generally is undisturbed except that the skull is missing. The bones of Burial 2 show more disturbance. Both burials appear to lie in a fetal position.

See: Pritchard, James B. The Bronze Age Cemetery at Gibeon., 
   pp.54-55, Fig. 56, 88, 89, 94:7-13, 19, 21.

Here are some questions to consider as you study this tomb:

• Which grave goods belong to which burial?
• Were the burials made at the same time?
• Is the burial practice here primary, secondary or both?
• Can you determine the sex and age of each burial?
• Can you reconstruct the funerary rites from the remains?

For comparative purposes, see also tombs from Tell es-Sultan published by Kathleen Kenyon.

CONTENTS