Death-Ritual and Social Structure in Classical Antiquity (Key Themes in Ancient History) [Paperback]

Ian Morris (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521376114 | ISBN-13: 978-0521376112 | Publication Date: October 30, 1992

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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Morris represents a new wave of research in archaeology, and his book is welcome....It is engagingly written and unites a great deal of wide-ranging information." Choice

"Morris has written an excellent book about the interpretation of ancient burial remains and the use of such interpretations for social history." Religious Studies Review

"While aimed primarily at social historians, this work will also be of significant interest to classical archaeologists looking for creative approaches to interpreting the graves they excavate...I once heard an anthropologist claim that classical archaeology has not produced a theorist of note since Pausanias. Morris, citing recent work on Greek burials, asserts that the field may yet answer its critics. This work is part of that response." Clark A. Walz, American Journal of Archaeology

Book Description

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.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (October 30, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521376114
• ISBN-13: 978-0521376112
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #900,907 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ian Morris teaches classics, history, and archaeology at Stanford University. Born in Stoke-on-Trent, England, in 1960, he now lives in the Santa Cruz Mountains in California. He has directed excavations in Greece, and Italy, and has published 11 books and more than 80 articles. His most recent book, "Why the West Rules--For Now: The Patterns of History, and What They Reveal About the Future" (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2010), tells the stories of East and West across the last 15,000 years, from the final days of the Ice Age into the 22nd century, explaining why the West came to dominate the rest--and what will happen next. His next book, called "War! What is It Good For?" will tell the story of war from prehuman times to our own, making two controversial claims--first, that war has helped humanity as well as harming it; and second, that war is now changing out of all recognition.