A STUDY Of THE SOCIAL STRUCTURE IN THE PREHISTORIC WESTERN ASIA BASED ON THE. MOR.TUARY PRACTICES

从墓葬位置、遗体方位、墓葬物品及其空间分布的角度对叙利亚西北部新石器时代聚落泰勒艾因艾尔克的墓葬证据进行了详细的研究。根据年龄和性别分布的证据，阿泰尔艾因埃尔克赫发现的墓葬大多由婴儿和青少年组成，包括胎儿和成人墓葬，这是相当特殊的。墓地似乎很有可能最迟在陶器新石器时代前B时期(PPNB)或El-Rouj时期1已经在聚落以外的某个地方建立。虽然最流行的埋葬方式是简单的埋葬和收缩的位置，特别是在El-Rouj 2d时期，陶器新石器时代的最后阶段，但有几种类型的埋葬被识别。这种墓葬习俗的变化可能反映了社会结构的变化。有必要从墓地中获得更详细的证据，因为到目前为止还没有得到证实。陶器新石器时代以前和以后时期的殡仪馆习俗的一般方面也被考察。在纳图菲亚时期，成年人的身体被埋葬在定居点内。说明墓地尚未建立，对死者一视同仁，不考虑年龄和性别的差异。在哈拉夫时期的墓地被证明在Yarim Tepe I，这是位于定居点外的墓地中发现的墓地具有相当相同的方面；相似的位置，身体方向。相反，在定居点内发现的大多数墓葬要么是婴儿埋葬，要么是不寻常的埋葬，如火化和移除头骨。定居点内的Halatian埋葬与Tell Ain el-Kerkh类似。

Burial evidences attested at a Neolithic settlement of Tell Ain el-Kerkh in northwestern Syria are examined in details from the point of view of burial positions, body directions, grave goods and their spatial distribution.Based on the evidence of age and sex distribution it becomes dear that the most of the burials found atTell Ain elKerkh are consisted of infants and juveniles including fetus and adult burials are rather exceptional. It seems quite likely that graveyard is already established in somewhere outside of the settlement at latest in the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B period (PPNB) or El-Rouj period 1. Although the most prevailing burial style is simple inhumations with contracted position, especially in El-Rouj 2d period, the final phase of the Pottery Neolithic, several types of burials are recognised. It is possible that such alteration seen among the burial practices reflects the change of the social structure. It is necessary to obtain more elaborated evidence from the graveyard which has not been attested so far.General aspects of the mortuary practices in the previous and subsequent periods of the Pottery Neolithic period are also examined. In the Natufian period bodies of adults are buried within the settlements. It demonstratesthat the graveyard is not yet established and the dead are treated in the same ways without considering the difference of the age and sex. In the Halaf period graveyard is attested at Yarim Tepe I which is located outside of the settlement The burials found in the graveyards bears rather homogenous aspects; similar positions, body directions. On the contrary most of the burials found within the settlement are either infants inhumations or unusual one such as cremation and removed skull. The aspects of Halatian burials within the settlements are similar to Tell Ain el-Kerkh.