Greek burial pratices

Girls or Boys? Meanings and Interpretations of the Grave Goods in Greek Infant Burials

Because of their transitional biological and social state, infants are highly dependent on the other members of the Greek society, which implies important methodological questions relating to burial practices. This paper examines grave goods found with the infants, often used as sex-indicating like jewelries, to explore the plurality of meanings and messages (gender, social, economic, cultural…) formed by the same objects or group of objects. Analyzing young child burials allows a better understanding of the different logics organizing the funerary rituals that reveal not only the manifold identities of the deceased (children and adults), but of his family and relatives as well.

Par leur jeune âge et l’état de forte dépendance qui en découle, les enfants en bas âge constituent une catégorie d’individus particulièrement intéressante pour l’archéologie funéraire. À partir de l’exemple du matériel retrouvé dans les tombes infantiles et plus spécifiquement des parures – artefacts  fréquemment utilisés comme « sex-indicating » –  cet article propose de s’interroger sur la pluralité des discours (sexué, social, économique, culturel …) que peut révéler un même objet ou ensemble d’objets. L’étude des sépultures d’enfants en  bas âge est ainsi utilisée comme un moyen d’aborder les différentes logiques que pouvaient exprimer le choix des dépôts funéraires, reflétant les nombreuses composantes de l’identité des défunts (enfants et adultes), mais également de leurs proches.

Cet article interprète les changements de taille des objets, les uns devenant gigantesques, les autres miniatures, comme les conséquences du processus de défonctionalisation des offrandes déposées dans les sanctuaires et les tombes. La défonctionalisation est la perte de l'utilité pratique initiale de l'objet. Elle leur donne une nouvelle dimension qui pose des questions d'ordre social (division de la société en classe d'âge et en sexes) et économique (origine de la monnaie, don et contre don)

Keywords: Funerary Marble Vases, Grave Marker, Lekythos, Attic, Hydria

Marble vessels of various forms and types had an essential role within the life of ancient people. However, the tedious obtaining process and the long-lasting lifetime of marble made the vessels produced from it valuable and scantly obtainable objects for everyone’s domestic life. On the other hand, due to its durability, marble vessels were highly preferred, especially by the elite for ritual but mostly for funerary oriented areas. Two marble vases kept within the storages of the Sinop Archaeological Museum supply us with some good examples of marble vessels produced and used for funerary oriented purposes. The two vases, carved in the shape of a lekythos and a hydria, are important finds for a better understanding of the funerary beliefs, cultural interactions and, even at some point, the demographic structure of ancient Sinop. In the scope of this paper, continuous evaluation will be conducted, firstly for an in detail interpreting and understanding of the two vases. Full or partial comparisons will be drawn with other various vases for establishing a more definite identification and a secure dating. Last but not least, the vases will be tried to be placed within the context of the use of marble vases for funerary purposes.

Anahtar Kelimeler: Mermer Cenaze Kapları, Mezar Belirteci, Lekythos, Attik, Hydria

Çeşitli form ve tiplerde mermer kaplar antik dönem insanının hayatında önemli rollere sahip olmuştur. Ancak meşakkatli elde etme süreci ve uzun ömürlü oluşu gibi unsurlar mermerden üretilmiş kapları herkesin gündelik hayatı için değerli ve az miktarda temin edilebilir bir hale sokmuştur. Diğer yandan dayanıklılığı sayesinde mermerden üretilen kaplar özellikle elit kesim tarafından ritüel ancak daha çok ölü gömme odaklı kullanılmak üzere tercih edilmiştir. Sinop Arkeoloji Müzesi depolarında muhafaza altında tutulan iki adet mermer kap, özellikle ölü gömmede kullanılan formlar için güzel örneklemeler sunmaktadır. Biri lekythos diğeri ise hydria formunda olacak şekilde üretilmiş bu iki
kap, antik Sinop’taki ölü gömme inançları, kültürel etkileşimler hatta bir noktada demografik yapı hakkında değerli verilere ulaşmada kıymetli birer eser görevi görmektedir. Bu çalışma bünyesinde her iki kabın da detaylı ve kapsamlı bir incelemesi gerçekleştirilecektir.

I discuss various issues centered around the notion of soul and death in Homer: the extent to which the homeric texts and archeological artefacts like tombs etc. may be regarded as evidence for certain beliefs; the concept of a plurality of souls and their different functions; I defend the idea that there is a homeric concept of an afterlife for the psyche; I discuss the sense of the burial rituals described in the epics and question their implications for religious beliefs.

The object of interest is examination of the epigraphic and archaeological evidence related to the
burial rites in the Hellenistic period characteristic by the variety of funeral monuments. New cogitations
and techniques of funeral architecture appeared in the whole Hellenistic world but in Caria strong local
tradition is in evidence. The heroic aspects of the deceased are best to be observed by examining the
particular monuments and their architectural symbols as well as epigraphic evidence and contextual
data. Aim is to accentuate that necropoleis and singular grave temenoi in particular were space where
living interacted with the world of dead. Burial rites can be partial reconstruct with the help of supportive
information however they did not survive in the form of material finds.

This paperwork refers to the three selected funeral inscriptions on the round altars from Carian
site Stratoniceia, which represent the indisseverable element on the grave temenos in the Hellenistic
period in the specified area. Considering fact, that none of them was found in situ, selected epitaphs
helps us to better understand how they functionate did and how the world of living was connected with
the world of dead. However the necropolis in Stratoniceia was almost completely destroyed by modern
urbanization, we can find parallels in region nearby, especially on the necropolis of Cnidus.