Archaeology of Death in Ancient Athens

Since a large portion of my university time is spent learning about Greek history, I have found burials from this region to be really interesting. One in particular that I have heard about on many occasions is the tomb of 'The Rich Athenian Lady'. Her cremated remains and grave goods date to 850 BC. She is named the 'Rich Athenian Lady' because of the luxury items found in her grave. These included five model granaries (pictured), gold jewelry, ivory stamp seals, faience and glass beads. Scholars have speculated, based on these items, that she may have been the daughter of an Athenian elite. Recent analysis of her cremated remains have found an accompanied fetus, showing the woman was 34-36 weeks pregnant. This raises questions about whether she was actually wealthy, or these grave goods were placed with her because of the child. This study raised my interest of child mortuary practices in Ancient Greece.

Smithson, Evelyn Lord. "The tomb of a rich Athenian lady, ca. 850 BC." Hesperia (1968): 77-116.