Early Bronze Age Chamber Tomb Complexes at Gre Virike (Period IIA) on the Middle Euphrates
Gre Virike is on a pebble terrace on the Euphrates, some 10 km to the north of the Turkish-Syrian border. In the second half of the third millennium B.C., limestone structures attached to subterranean chamber tombs were built on the mound summit. The structures consist of three rows of chambers, one...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2005
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| In: |
Bulletin of ASOR
Year: 2005, Volume: 339, Pages: 21-46 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (JSTOR) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | Gre Virike is on a pebble terrace on the Euphrates, some 10 km to the north of the Turkish-Syrian border. In the second half of the third millennium B.C., limestone structures attached to subterranean chamber tombs were built on the mound summit. The structures consist of three rows of chambers, one of which is attached to an undisturbed chamber tomb. The other two rows probably also belong to two chamber tombs, which were heavily disturbed. Plastered pits on the floors of these chambers contain ceramic vessels and ash. In the tomb chambers, skeletons of the deceased, ceramic vessels, and animal bones were collected. The plastered pits seem to have been used as libation places and censers, and one of the chambers was used as a kitchen. Ancient Near Eastern cuneiform texts record rituals carried out during funerary rituals, such as libation, sacrificing, commemorative banquets, and incense burning. The monumental structure and rich inventory of these tombs show that they belonged to the elite. Its position apart from a settlement or an ordinary cemetery makes this site an extraordinary place. Thus, the chamber tomb complexes at Gre Virike seem to have been used for making offerings during funerary ceremonies. |
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| ISSN: | 2161-8062 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: American Schools of Oriental Research, Bulletin of ASOR
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1086/BASOR25066901 |