New discoveries in a Nabataean tomb. Burial practices and ‘plant jewellery’ in ancient Hegra (Madâ’in Sâlih, Saudi Arabia)

Excavations at the Nabataean tomb IGN 117 in Madâ’in Sâlih (ancient Hegra, Saudi Arabia) revealed unprecedented 'plant jewellery'—pierced dates strung with date-palm leaflets on fabric and leather. This rare find, dating to the Nabataean-Roman period (1st–4th century AD), challenges our understanding of funerary practices in the Near East. The discovery, analyzed through interdisciplinary methods, sheds light on burial rituals, including body preservation techniques, while raising questions about the symbolic significance of date palms in ancient funerary contexts.

Bouchaud, C., Sachet, I., Dal Prà, P., Delhopital, N., Douaud, R., & Leguilloux, M. (2015). New discoveries in a Nabataean tomb. Burial practices and ‘plant jewellery’ in ancient Hegra (Madâ’in Sâlih, Saudi Arabia). Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy, 26(1), 28–42. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/aae.12047