Syrian burial customs

Chargar Bazar, NE Syria

• Excavated by Max Mallowan 1935-1937
• 2nd mill. BC graves below the house floors were of adults and children, each put separately in a pit or build tomb and usually accompanied by burial offerings
• Offerings included pottery jars, arrays of bronze weapons and pins with rare inclusions of silver jewellery

Tell Brak, NE Syria

• Excavated by M.Mallowan in 1938
• Houses from 3rd mill. BC included smalled chapel with associated child burials

Nimrud, NE Syria

• Excavated by M.Mallowan 1938 onwards
• NW palace - Room DD rich burial under the floor. Woman in a baked caly coffin. Necklace of semi-precious stones, gold chain, pendant ("Nimrud Jewel"). May have been a harem.
• 1988 - 1990 4 subterranean tombs found with barrel-vaulted roofs. 3 containing large amounts of gold jewellry. Inscriptions indicate queens or 'palace women' were buried here 700BC

Source

TRUMPLER C. (ed.) (1999) Agatha Christie and archaeology. London: British Museum Press. p.116, p.131, p.144.