Burial Customs in the Aegean
The analysis of burial customs during the Dark Ages is difficult because, as Oliver Dickinson says in his book The Aegean Bronze Age, the “shortage of such information makes analysis of burial practices hazardous.”(Dickinson) General trends can be uncovered however by looking at the construction of cemeteries and the types of artifacts uncovered within them. As is the case in Lefkandi, “when figures of the number of dead are available, they are frequently low.”(Dickinson) This is an interesting aspect of cemeteries from the Dark Ages, however it is a fact that is not that difficult to discern. Due to decomposition of organic remains, as well as the disturbance of many Dark Age cemeteries, it makes sense that many bones would no longer exist in the tombs in which they were laid. In Lefkandi specifically, plowing of the area is one likely reason for the upset of the graves. In many cases where no bones were discovered, it is evident that they were previously there by the way artifacts are laid, especially artifacts of jewelry.

Dickinson points out other elements of uniformity in Aegean Burial. These include the fact that cremations are relatively rare, and that items are typically placed in association with the body. The relatively low number of cremations is interesting when examining Lefkandi because of the relatively high numbers of pyres found.

One possible reason for the funeral pyres at Lefkandi is one burial trend of the Aegean where two burials took place: one at death, and then one when all of the flesh had decayed from the bones. At this second stage of burial, fires were occasionally lit in order to fumigate the tomb, as well as to remove any remaining flesh from the bones before the ceremony commenced. At this point however, it is unknown whether this is the case.

Tomb Construction

Aside from cultural and ceremonial trends, it is also interesting to look at how the actual tombs were constructed. Tombs during this period were most commonly cists, which were built of slabs in a rectangular or trapezoidal shape.
(Dickinson)
Tombs were often linked together, all of them being in a chamber or witin some other structure as is the case of the Toumba Cemetary at Lefkandi. Although the entire cemetery is not housed under the 'heroon,' at least two burials are. The tombs not contained within the 'heroon' are however linked to it by the construction of the veranda. This veranda meant the anticipation of later burials.

Warrior Burial-

An interesting trend that was developing during this time was the warrior or hero burial which can be seen in the Homeric epics. A connection is even made from Homer to Lefkandi, by asserting that the Toumba cemetery has parallels to Homeric Burial. In his review of Popham’s second part to the excavation of Toumba, James Whitley suggests that some aspects of the burial within the large structure at Toumba “recall the Burial of Patroklos in the Iliad.”(Whitley) in Book Fifteen of the Iliad, Zeus says that,
… he shall rouse up Patroklos
his companion. And glorious Hektor shall cut down Patroklos
with the spear before Ilion, after he has killed many others…(Homer)
Once Hektor has killed Patroklos, the funeral ensues:
Three times, mourning, they drove their horses with flowing manes about the body, and among them Thetis sttirred the passion for weeping....

All that i promised you in time past I am accomplishing, that I would drag Hektor here and give him to the dogs to feed on raw, and before your burning pyre to bhead twelve glorious children of the Trojans for my anger over your slaying.... (Homer)

Whether the burial at Toumba is of epic proportions is yet to be seen, however, the obvious parallels of extravagance do exist. Patroklos' funeral continued with the slaughtering of many animals for feast, and although there is no evidence that animals were slain, there is evidence that a feast did ensue the burial at Toumba.
Giftgiving...