Burial Practices

Prehistoric archaeologists often employ mortuary remains to interpret the social structure of ancient societies, based on the belief that the treatment of the dead corresponds to the status or the ‘social persona’ that the deceased had in life. Over the years this debate has involved both anthropologists and archaeologists, some of whom have been cautious about the limits of such studies which attempt to establish a close correlation between mortuary remains and social ranking in life. Aegean archaeologists have also been involved in such discussions. Two major studies, in particular by Morris and Whitley, employ mortuary data mostly from Athens in order to understand the social changes reflected in the burial customs. Their aim was to explain the rise of the polis.

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