Death-Ritual and Social Structure in Classical Antiquity

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.

Burials permit a far wider range of inference and insight than the literary texts produced by and for a narrow social elite. The primary purpose of this text is to reveal how they may be used as unique informative sources of Greek and Roman social history.