Briefly Noted

057

The Necropolis of Hesban: A Typology of Tombs

S. Douglas Waterhouse
(Berrian Springs, MI: Andrews University Press, 1998) 205 pp., $45.99

This is the tenth installment in a series of reports on excavations conducted a quarter century ago at Tell Hesban, 15 miles southwest of Amman, Jordan. Douglas Waterhouse gives a tomb-by-tomb analysis of Roman and Byzantine cemeteries uncovered near Hesban, while other contributors analyze the tombs’ skeletal remains. Some surprises: Hesban locals seem to have been somewhat protected from infection by ingesting a natural form of tetracycline. Unfortunately, however, they had no access to fluoridated water, and many of the skeletons in the cemeteries were found toothless.

The Chora of Metaponto: The Necropoleis

Joseph Coleman Carter
(Austin: University of Texas Press, 1998) 2 vols., $125

When Greek colonists first settled along Italy’s southern coast in the seventh century B.C., they didn’t keep to themselves. The tombs they built, the artifacts they left behind and even their bones tell of a dynamic mixing of cultures in this frontier society. This study of the region’s necropoleis examines burial customs, kinship patterns, grave goods, and the biological interrelatedness and general health of the deceased. Alas, their bones and teeth often reveal an unhappy history of syphilis, gum disease and nutritional deficiencies.

The Archaeology of Animal Bones

Terry O’Connor
(College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2000) 206 pp., $34.95

What’s to be gained from examining animal bones? The way animals were hunted, butchered and consumed, the manner in which they were buried, and the distribution of bones outside their species’ present-day habitats can help archaeologists reconstruct social and religious customs as well as changing weather patterns. For instance, the bone-covered floor of a Roman frigidarium excavated in Wales has helped archaeologists determine when Roman influence in the area waned. The local tribes—never fond of Roman bathing practices—let the bath house fall into disuse as soon as the troops departed. The building must have remained standing, with its roof intact, for a long period of time: Thousands of tiny bones covered the excavated floor, indicating that for years barn owls had found a home in the empty building, regurgitating the bones of their prey.

An Archaeological Investigation of the Central Sinai, Egypt

Frank W. Eddy and Fred Wendorff
(Niwot, CO: University Press of Colorado, 1999) 340 pp., $75.00

The planned relocation of 2 million Egyptian farmers from densely populated areas of the Nile Valley to the more desolate Sinai Peninsula in the coming decades has inadvertently caused the destruction of many of the central Sinai’s prehistoric sites. As plans for new water distribution facilities and public housing proceed, numerous sites—some 10,000 years old—are being looted for building materials. Realizing that preserving all of these sites was impossible, a group of archaeologists did the next best thing: In 1996 they conducted a reconnaissance survey of 72 archaeological sites and excavated ten of them. Tombs, houses, open air sanctuaries and stock enclosures (suggesting the Sinai’s prehistoric nomads became semi-nomadic pastoralists during the early third millennium B.C.) were uncovered. In just a few years, this volume’s meticulous field notes and detailed black-and-white diagrams, photographs and maps may be all that’s left of the prehistoric culture of the central Sinai region.

Born in Heaven, Made on Earth

Michael B. Dick, Ed.
(Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 1999) 243 pp., $35

Whether they’re worshiped or smashed, cult images have aroused fierce emotions in the hearts of those seeking the divine. This volume explores the reasons for biblical injunctions against creating idols; examines Mesopotamian incantations used to “open the mouth” of idols and make them receptive to offerings of incense, food and water; and recounts elaborate cultic rituals that took place in Egyptian temples. The book also addresses questions about the modern use of cult images.

The Necropolis of Hesban: A Typology of Tombs