Performing Death

Social Analyses of Funerary Traditions in the Ancient Near East and Mediterranean

by Nicola Laneri

Book cover: Performing Death

Extent: 317 pages

Publisher: Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures

Subjects: Ancient Near East, Mediterranean Archaeology

Series: Oriental Institute Seminars

Series volume number: 3, 3

Language: English

Paperback (Published)

(September 2007)

ISBN: 9781885923509

Price: $24.95

In stock

The main aim of the two-day seminar in 2006 was to interpret the social relevance resulting from the enactment of funerary rituals within the broad-reaching Mediterranean basin from prehistoric periods to the Roman Age. Includes case-studies linked to both textual and archaeological evidence from the Mediterranean region.


This volume represents a collection of contributions presented by the authors during the Second Annual University of Chicago Oriental Institute Seminar “Performing Death: Social Analyses of Funerary Traditions in the Ancient Mediterranean,” held at the Oriental Institute, February 17-18, 2006. The principal aim of the two-day seminar was to interpret the social relevance resulting from the enactment of funerary rituals within the broad-reaching Mediterranean basin from prehistoric periods to the Roman Age. Efforts were concentrated on creating a panel composed of scholars with diverse backgrounds – anthropologists, historians, archaeologists, art historians, and philologists – and the knowledge and expertise to enrich the discussion through the presentation of case-studies linked to both textual and archaeological evidence from the Mediterranean region. Fundamental to the successful realisation of this research process was the active dialogue between scholars of different backgrounds. These communicative exchanges provided the opportunity to integrate different approaches and interpretations concerning the role played by the performance of ancient funerary rituals within a given society and, as a result, helped in defining a coherent outcome towards the interpretation of ancient communities’ behaviours.

  • By (author) Nicola Laneri