2. Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece has many ways to deal with burial systems.
Burial systems were very important for their culture. During
the Mycenaean period to honor the dead, the living would
put jewels and food around the body, around the floor of
the tomb.This is why pieces of food and broken cups are
often found at ancient tombs. A tomb from somewhere
called Marathon contained the remains of horses that may
have been given to the dead. Mycenaean cemeteries were
often located near the population centers, with single graves
for modest people, and chamber tombs for the richer
families.
3. Ancient Greece (continued)
After 1100 BC, the Ancient Greeks started to bury the dead
in individual graves instead of group tombs. Athens did this
differently. The people of Athens normally burned their
dead and placed their ashes in an urn or large vase. In the
early Archaic period, Greek cemeteries became bigger, but
the number of pieces of food and jewelery decreased.
Women were an important part in funeral rites. They were
in charge of preparing the body, which had to be washed,
placed with a wreath. Without them, the death reituals
would have been very different.
4. Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt death rituals included mummifying the body,
casting magic spells, and burying the body with grave goods
thought to be needed in the Egyptian afterlife. No one
really knows any writing that survived from predynastic
Egypt, but many scholars believe that the Egyptians cared
for the importance of the body and its preservation.This
theory would also explain why people back then did not burn
the body, but buried the dead. Some scholars also believe
that the Egypians feared the bodies would rise again if
mistreated after death. In the Early times, bodies were
buried in simple oval pits, with a few burial ingredients.
Sometimes even people and animals were placed in the same
grave. The graves became even more complicated as time
passed.
5. Ancient Egypt (continued)
The more complicatedgraves contained burials goods like
jewelry and pieces of sharpened splint. Human sacrifices
were found in early royal tombs. Eventually, different pieces
of art such as paintings and sculptures began to replace
human victims. Some of these things may have been created
to resemble certain people.
6. Ancient Rome
If a person died at home, family members and friends
gathered around the death bed. The closest relative sealed
the passing of the dead spirit from the body with a last
kiss, and closed the eyes. The relatives will then begin
praying for the spirit to rest in peace and other. Often
when a person died, he/she would be washed and laid out on
a couch, dressed in finest clothes. A coin would be placed on
his/her mouth, under the tongue, or on the eyes so he/she
could pay the ferryman to send him/her to the land of the
dead. After being laid for eight days, that person would be
taken out for burial.
7. Ancient Rome (continued)
Funerals were very expensive back then, so the poor people
but not indigent Romans, including slaves, contributed to a
burial society which gave the poor dead a proper burial (or
funeral) in columbaria, which allowed many of the poor to be
buried together in a small space, rather than dumping their
bodies in holes or pits, where their remains would rot.
8. Bibliography
Works Cited Afterlife in Ancient Greece. N.d. tomb. This is a photograph of an ancient tomb in ancient
Greece.
"Ancient Egyptian Burial Customs." Wikipedia. 2014. N. pag. Print. This article on Wikipedia was very
helpful, although it only helped me find out about Ancient Egyptian death rituals. It wasn't at a
perfect grade seven level though.
"Ancient Greek Funeral and Burial Practices." Wikipedia. N. pag. Print. This article was very interesting
and had a lot of info on the Ancient Greek deaths and funerals.
"Ancient Roman Death." The Monolith. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 May 2014. <http://www.themonolith.com/wp-
content/uploads/monolith-ancient-roman-death-metal.jpeg>. This photo shows the ancient
Romans dragging a dead body inside a temple. I think this picture is very interesting.
Ancient Rome Tomb. N.d. Ancient Rome Tomb. This is a photograph of an ancient tomb in Rome.
Death of Pericles (Ancient Greek Ruler). N.d. Oil on Canvas. This is a painting called the death of
Pericles.
9. BibliographyIn the Mountain Valleys. N.d. Work of visual art. This is a painting/carving of ancient Greek death rituals.
"Roman Burial Practices." Roman Burial Practices. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 May 2014.
<http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/deathafterlife/a/RomanBurial.htm>. This website helped me a lot
about ancient Rome.
"Roman Funerals and Burial." Wikipedia. 2014. N. pag. Print. This website was very helpful for me to find
out more about Roman deaths, but it wasn't at a grade seven level, but it was easy enough to
understand.
"Sarcophagus's Death." Wikipedia. Wikipedia, n.d. Web. 8 May 2014.
<http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Sarcophagus_death_of_Meleager_Louvre_Ma
539.jpg>. This image is a statue of someone named Sarcophagus (of Rome) dying. There are many
people surrounding him, crying and being depressed. This shows how people react when people die
in Rome. This image was very helpful.
Tombs of Eternity. N.d. Egypt Tomb. This is not exactly a sculpture, but made by a talented person in
ancient Egypt. It is an ancient tomb.
10. BibliographyIn the Mountain Valleys. N.d. Work of visual art. This is a painting/carving of ancient Greek death rituals.
"Roman Burial Practices." Roman Burial Practices. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 May 2014.
<http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/deathafterlife/a/RomanBurial.htm>. This website helped me a lot
about ancient Rome.
"Roman Funerals and Burial." Wikipedia. 2014. N. pag. Print. This website was very helpful for me to find
out more about Roman deaths, but it wasn't at a grade seven level, but it was easy enough to
understand.
"Sarcophagus's Death." Wikipedia. Wikipedia, n.d. Web. 8 May 2014.
<http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Sarcophagus_death_of_Meleager_Louvre_Ma
539.jpg>. This image is a statue of someone named Sarcophagus (of Rome) dying. There are many
people surrounding him, crying and being depressed. This shows how people react when people die
in Rome. This image was very helpful.
Tombs of Eternity. N.d. Egypt Tomb. This is not exactly a sculpture, but made by a talented person in
ancient Egypt. It is an ancient tomb.
