Hilazon Tachtit burial interpreted as a Natufian shaman's grave. The grave goods are substantially more numerous and diverse than any other Natufian grave discovered, with a specific arrangement suggesting a brand new burial tradition The site is 10 km from the nearest known Natufian settlement, indicating a huge effort was undertaken for the internment For years following the woman's death, 27 additional people including men, women, children, and a baby were buried in close proximity to her

Researchers, including those behind a 2008 paper, have interpreted the elaborate burial as fitting a shaman's grave — a spiritual figure believed to mediate between worlds. Rare grave goods like leopard remains and the tortoise-shell-shaped oval pit reinforce this reading, and for years afterward 27 others were buried near her, suggesting lasting ritual importance.

Key Facts

  • The grave goods are substantially more numerous and diverse than any other Natufian grave discovered, with a specific arrangement suggesting a brand new burial tradition
  • The site is 10 km from the nearest known Natufian settlement, indicating a huge effort was undertaken for the internment
  • For years following the woman's death, 27 additional people including men, women, children, and a baby were buried in close proximity to her
  • A 2008 paper describes the burial as consistent with expectations for a shaman's grave, as shamans mediated between the human and spirit worlds as messengers, healers, and magicians
  • Leopards are extremely rare in a Natufian context, further emphasizing the importance of the woman
  • Male gazelle horn cores were believed by Natufians to have both functional and spiritual uses and have appeared in other Natufian graves
  • The oval shape of the grave resembles a tortoise shell, which in some cultures symbolizes earth creation, longevity, protection, and immortality in the cycle of life
  • Artwork at Structure 2 at Wadi Hammeh 27 resembles the natural pattern of a tortoise shell, supporting the tortoise as an important animal to the Natufians
  • The burial dates to a major transition period of human development at the start of the Neolithic

Related site: Me‘arat H̱illazon Taẖtit — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.

Source: Mysterious 12,000-YEAR-OLD Natufian ‘Shaman’ Burial Discovery by Ancient Architects