An Archaeology of Ancestors: Tomb Cult and Hero Cult in Early Greece (Greek Studies: Interdisciplinary Approaches)

In this fresh consideration of the origins of the ancient Greeks' ideas and practices concerning their own past, Carla M. Antonaccio demonstrates that hero cult and ancestor cult persisted, throughout the Iron Age, long before epic poetry's heroic narratives were widely disseminated. Although it was not until the dissolution of Iron Age societies that epic poetry and organized hero cult developed to aid claims to legitimacy, practices such as visiting tombs to make offerings were common, and contradict the usual picture of Iron Age religious conservatism. Ch. 1. Introduction -- Ch. 2. A Regional Survey Of Tomb Cults -- Ch. 3. Cults Of Epic And Mythical Heroes -- Ch. 4. The Cult Of The Dead -- Ch. 5. An Archaeology Of Ancestors. Carla M. Antonaccio. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 269-292) And Index. Reconsiders the origins of the Ancient Greeks' ideas and practices concerning their own past. This study demonstrates that hero cult and ancestor cult persisted throughout the Iron Age. Practices such as visiting tombs to make offerings were common.