The Ugaritic cemetery 3000 years old cultural witness

The Ugaritic  cemetery , which has been discovered south of the Bay of “Mina Al-Bayda”  in Latakia since 1997 , dates back to the thirteenth century BC.

The  archaeological researcher Jamal Haidar confirmed that  the archaeological excavations carried out  in the site indicated the  Ugaritic cemetery  was  specified  for a family of a prominent social position, as the cemetery  was constructed with sandstone pieces under the surface of the earth in the form of a small room with  two meters deep, 3 meters long and 2 meters wide. 

The researcher Haidar, who headed the excavation mission for the site  twenty-three  years ago,  told  SANA that he had found in the cemetery  an  entrance to a descending staircase and a floor-level ceiling covered with huge stone blocks.

Haidar added  that the cemetery  was filled with muddy agricultural soil, and it was excavated quietly and  inside it were discovered around 200 archaeological pieces   for burying the dead. 

The archaeological  researcher Haidar explained   that these pieces are made of pottery, stone, metal, glass, ivory and bone in addition to human skeletons. 

He underlined that  150 artifacts  have also  been found including   pottery pieces such as jars of various shapes and sizes, jugs, saucers, bowls, pans,  stone pieces, bronze decorations, daggers , arrows as well as  two rings for women.

Researchers believe that the Ugaritic cemetery reflected  the importance of death for the Ugarites as a passage to another life through the way in which they bury their dead as most of the discovered structures were in a squatting position closer to the running position. This  means  when the tomb was closed the deceased  would run to the other world .. 

Rawaa Ghanam