Burying the Heros: Identifying the Archaeological Background of the Homeric Burial.

The essay "Burying the Heroes: Identifying the Archaeological Background of the Homeric Burial" by Antonis Kourkoulakos discusses the historical and cultural significance of Homeric burial customs. The author argues that Homeric burial customs are the result of a mixture of traditions, contemporary customs, and collective memory. By examining archaeological findings and written sources, possible origins of Homeric burial customs are proposed. It is noted that burial practices in Anatolia show similarities to Homeric traditions, particularly regarding cremation and the use of urns. There are also similarities between the burial tradition in the Iliad and archaeological findings in Greece, the Aegean, and the Balkans. It is speculated that these similarities could indicate a connection between the Mediterranean and Central European regions. The western Balkan region appears to have been the area where the tumulus tradition originated and spread over a large area in the following centuries. Therefore, the epics are not only a marvel of early Greek poetry, but rather an example of the first truly "European" (and indeed Anatolian) literary work. [Extracted from the article]