Were There Double Cremations at the Phaleron Burial Ground in Greece?

Abstract

This article examines cremation deposits containing more than one individual from the Archaic archaeological site of Phaleron (ca. 750–480 BCE), located in Phaleron Delta, Attica, Greece. Our research question focuses on whether these individuals were intentionally burned together and what this practice meant for the individuals involved. To address this inquiry, we reconstructed the biological profiles of the cremated individuals, examining details of thermal alterations and reviewing contextual archaeological information. Additionally, we provide the main questions asked and the decision tree used to distinguish double cremations from alternatives, such as inadvertent mixing due to taphonomic actions or human activity. The proposed analytical process can be applied to cremation deposit, from any period or location. Following detailed analysis of the five features that contained more than one burned individual, we determined that two pyres represent instances where more than two individuals were burned together. While we cannot specify the reasons for this practice, the evidence suggests that circumstances of death, rather than a specific cultural tradition, likely account for the phenomenon.