Burial of a Natufian Shaman

Natufian culture predates the Early Neolithic period and is known to demonstrate the first emergence of farming communites (Bar-Yosef & Valla 1990:433). Many burial sites have been discovered and excavated in Israel, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon (Milstein 2008). In 2008 a new grave was discovered, this one of what is believed to be a shaman. I had never heard of this discovered until I stumbled upon it a few days ago which makes me wonder how this find was publicized (if at all) or perhaps I missed the news that day. But back to the details!

Above is a diagram of the shaman grave discovered by Grosman (Milstein 2008). The associated animal remains have been the determining factor in labelling this burial as belonging to that of a shaman, because no other Natufian graves have been discovered with the like (ibid.). The shaman was a woman, 45 years old (ibid.), and while with some confidence we can determine her a shaman, we cannot necessarily explain (with certainty) what rituals the animal remains were used for.

As mentioned, Natufian culture was key in the development of farming communties, but the importance of shamans in this period of transition away from nomadic lifestyle can only be guessed.
For the full report of Grosman's excavation see Grosman, Munro, and Belfer-Cohen 2008.

The animistic nature of the shaman is prevalent in the animal remains that have been placed close to the woman's body. Although the orientation of the body has probably been disrupted due to geological processes, she appears to have been buried in a crouched postion with her legs tucked beneath her. A stone slab was placed on the body (Milstein 2008) perhaps to keep scavengers away or to prevent the shaman's soul from leaving her body (or both).

I find it fascinating that this Natufian burial is the first of its kind to be discovered, and it shows what a dramatic change one site can intiate in our interpretation of long lost cultures.



Bar-Yosef, Ofer and Valla, F.
        1990      The Natufian Culture and the Origin of the Neolithic in the Levant. Current   Anthropology 31(4):433-436.

Grosman, Leore; Munro, Natalie D.; Belfer-Cohen, Anna
       2008      A 12,000-year-old Shaman burial from the southern Levant (Israel). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 105(46):17665-17669. http://www.pnas.org/content/105/46/17665.full (accessed March 31, 2013).

Milstein, Mati
        2008      Oldest Shaman Grave Found; Includes Foot, Animal Parts [Internet]. National Geograpic; [cited March 31, 2013]. Available from: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/11/081104-israel-shaman-missions.html