A Unique Assemblage of Cremation Burial from Ḥorvat Tevet and Assyrian Imperial Rule in the Jezreel Valley

The excavation at Ḥorvat Tevet revealed a unique cremation burial assemblage, dating to the Iron IIC. This diverse assemblage, richer than comparable burials throughout the Levant, includes unparalleled pottery objects and luxury items that reflect extensive trade networks across the Mediterranean and Mesopotamia and emphasise the high status of the deceased and the community that carried out the burial. The opulence of the burial contrasts sharply with meagre findings in the site’s Iron IIC occupational level. In this article, we present the assemblage and discuss the practice of cremation burials in the Iron Age Levant. In this light, we then demonstrate how this assemblage may contribute to the ongoing discussion of the Neo-Assyrian Empire’s socio-economic dynamics and territorial strategies in the Jezreel Valley and beyond.