Death-Ritual and Social Structure in Classical Antiquity

by Ian Morris

Overview

The chief purpose of this book is to show how burials may be used as a uniquely informative source for Greek and Roman social history. Burials permit a far wider range of inference and insight than the literary texts produced by and for a narrow social elite, and by studying them in depth Dr. Morris is able to offer new interpretations of social change in Graeco-Roman antiquity. The major interdisciplinary importance of the book lies in its attempt to break down barriers between archaeologists and historians of different societies and cultures.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521376112
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	10/22/1992
Series:	Key Themes in Ancient History
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.71(d)

Table of Contents

1. The anthropology of a dead world; 2. 'Mos Romanus': cremation and inhumation in the Roman empire; 3. 'Dem bones': skeletal remains; 4. Taking it with you: grave-goods and Athenian democracy; 5. Monuments to the dead: display and wealth in classical Greece; 6. Famous last words: the inscribed tombstone; 7. At the bottom of the graves: an example of analysis; 8. Conclusion; Bibliographical essay; Bibliography; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"Morris represents a new wave of research in archaeology, and his book is welcome....It is engagingly written and unites a great deal of wide-ranging information." Choice

"Morris has written an excellent book about the interpretation of ancient burial remains and the use of such interpretations for social history." Religious Studies Review

"While aimed primarily at social historians, this work will also be of significant interest to classical archaeologists looking for creative approaches to interpreting the graves they excavate...I once heard an anthropologist claim that classical archaeology has not produced a theorist of note since Pausanias. Morris, citing recent work on Greek burials, asserts that the field may yet answer its critics. This work is part of that response." Clark A. Walz, American Journal of Archaeology

From the Publisher