Mortuary Behavior and Social Trajectories in Pre- and Protopalatial Crete

The archaeological remains of Pre- and Protopalatial (Early Minoan I to Middle Minoan IIB) Crete include a large number of tombs and cemeteries dating to the third and second millennium B.C.E. These periods constitute a distinct cycle in terms of mortuary customs that was clearly defined by two significant attributes: the use of similar types of tombs and the deposition of significant amounts of material, objects that must be considered socially valuable. This mortuary cycle corresponded with dynamic social changes on Crete that ended in the appearance of a state society. Cemeteries and funerary rituals were central social arenas in Pre- and Protopalatial Crete. The study of the mortuary record therefore can elucidate dynamic history of Cretan communities during the Pre- and Protopalatial periods. This book constitutes an effort to reach a better understanding of a key period in Cretan and European history by a clear and concise approach to the funerary evidence: it is a comprehensive study of the totality of the known Cretan mortuary record during the Pre- and Protopalatial periods.