Prehistoric Crete : Regional and Diachronic Studies on Mortuary Systems

For several geographical areas and chronological periods of Cretan history, tombs are the most abundant source of data; this book takes a clear and distinct approach to the data. Its aim is to generate a discourse among archaeologists working in different areas and time periods on Crete and Greece, and in a broader anthropological audience.

Since the inception of Minoan archaeology, studies pertaining to tombs and tomb deposits have played seminal roles in our understanding of Minoan culture and the reconstruction of Bronze Age society. For several geographical areas and chronological periods of Cretan history, tombs are the most abundant source of data. Each author in this volume takes a clear and distinct approach to the data, including some that emphasize political geography on multi-regional and multi-scalar levels, some that examine the commemoration of the dead and of the community for legitimizing purposes but also for maintaining and/or creating elite positions in social systems, and others that underline the overlap between mortuary rituals and religion. The aim of this volume is not to present all tombs in all periods on Crete comprehensively, but the breadth of these papers is intended to generate a discourse not just among archaeologists working in different areas and time periods on Crete but also among archaeologists in Greece and a broader anthropological audience.