ABSTRACT
The archeological discussion of ancient mortuary practices has traditionally focused on the apparent distinctions between deceased individuals relative to the quantity and type of items interred with them. Archaeologists have preferred to interpret these as indicators of their sphere of influence and status within their particular communities. As Canaanite society emerged from the multiple, lineage-based, city-states of the Bronze Age into a single unified nation, religious concepts also evolved. A proper burial included a funeral and interment, complete with prescribed rites, rituals, and ceremonies. It is generally accepted that the emergence of statehood was accompanied by the rise of monotheism, the significance of individual identity, and developing concepts of bodily resurrection. Although certain elements of the funerary ceremony, tomb architecture and grave goods may have been more elaborate for those of higher socioeconomic status, the basic rite and ritual remained substantially unaltered.
