Mortuary Practices in Ancient Greece

A collection of vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts related to mortuary practices in Ancient Greece.

Mortuary data

The primary archaeological evidence for the Early Iron Age Greece, occurring due to the lack of written records.

Toumba

A mound constructed over a dismantled tomb, significant in burial practices.

Lefkandi krater

A large vase imported from Cyprus to Lefkandi, associated with rituals and grave goods.

EIA tomb cult

A funerary practice involving graveside meals and offerings to the deceased.

Areopagus warrior burial

A specific burial practice in EIA Athens that involved pit burial or cremation of males.

Cinerary urn

A container for ashes of the deceased, often accompanied by grave goods.

Heroic burial

A burial that marks the end of an elite family lineage, often with special status.

Democracy in funerary practices

The shift in burial customs reflecting egalitarian values, particularly during the Classical period.

Demosion sema

A public cemetery in Athens where the remains of war dead are interred.

Cippus

A stone or monument marking a tomb, often commemorating the deceased and containing inscriptions.

Parentalia festival

A public festival to honor ancestors, including rituals such as shared meals at tombs.

Lemuria festival

A private ceremony aimed at appeasing the spirits of the dead, held at night.

Infanticide in ancient Greece

The practice of killing or exposing infants, often cited in myths and linked to socio-economic factors.

Etruscan ancestor worship

A spiritual belief in the power of ancestors to assist the living, reflected in tomb practices.

Roman death masks

Wax or plaster masks created from the faces of the deceased, used in funerary rituals.

Imagines

Wax masks representing ancestors, worn by family members during public rituals and displayed in homes.