Heated beeswax usage in mortuary practices: The case of Ḥorvat Tevet (Jezreel Valley, Israel) ca. 1000 BCE

[Display omitted] •An Iron Age cemetery has been exposed in Ḥorvat Tevet at the Jezreel Valley, Israel.•Residue analysis of vessels placed in tombs indicates they contained beeswax.•Beeswax mixed with animal fat was used as fuel material during burial ceremonies.•Residue analysis sheds new light on burial practices during the Iron Age. The article presents and discusses the results of Residue Analysis performed on 27 pottery vessels, placed as offerings in burials dating to the Iron I period (ca. 1050–900 BCE) at the site Ḥorvat Tevet (Israel). The results show that heated beeswax was used during the burial ceremonies and placed in variety of vessels. These results shed new light on burial practices of South Levantine rural communities. They also contribute to the growing body of evidence regarding bee-product economy in the Southern Levant during the beginning of the Iron IIA.