Radical Death and Early State Formation in the Ancient Near East

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This project brings together several cutting edge archaeological research techniques to uncover the biological and social identities of individuals who were treated very differently in death, during the critical transition period preceding the formation of the world's earliest states. This unique opportunity has arisen through archaeological recovery of human remains from the site of Basur Höyük located in the Upper Tigris Valley, a region that has been very important in understanding the large-scale interactions of the first urban polities in Mesopotamia. Sitting astride several important trade routes, the cemetery uncovered at the site provides an insight into the Early Bronze Age period (3100-2800 BC), which follows the withdrawal of Uruk (Southern Mesopotamian) influence from the much larger region but comes before the consolidation of the first urban states at places like Lagash. The changing political and social organisation of this period is not well understood and due to modern conditions, very little is known about the Upper Tigris region. However, recent excavations have revealed a cemetery containing elite burials, evidence of human sacrifice, and a mass death pit; three very different burial contexts which provide the perfect template to examine the changing social roles defined through burial practice. The introduction of human sacrifice to the region has been argued to reflect the changing function of burial rituals and shifts in social organisation that are firmly linked to the rise of early states and kingship. This project will detail the differences (or similirities) in access to resources, general health, and kin relationships between the burials in the three very different types of grave to outline the social context of these new burial rituals. The project brings together the analysis of bioarchaeological information on the human remains such as childhood health and lifetime stature, disease burden, and cause of death with the analysis of the spatial and social context of each burial. Stable isotope analysis will compare ratios of Carbon, Nitrogen, Strontium, and Oxygen in different individuals and between tissues representing childhood and adulthood in the same individual to address issues of access to resources (e.g. meat) place of origin, and lifetime mobility. An ancient DNA assay will be used to investigate population relationships and test for the presence of pathogen DNA in the death pit. Brought together with a comprehensive 3d reconstruction of each burial, this will form the a uniquely complete picture of a society that has adopted radical burial practices.