| This thesis attempts to define the characteristic features of Lydian graves and burial customs during the 7th through the 4th centuries B.C. Funerary architecture, the ways in which graves were marked, and the furnishings and gifts with which tombs were equipped are considered as defining elements. In each of these categories, evidence from Sardis and from other sites in Lydia is presented and compared in a general way with that from other cultures in East Greece and western Asia Minor.; The primary source of information for Lydian graves and burial customs is the physical remains of the tombs and their contents. The disturbed condition of the archaeological record, however, presents certain problems in interpreting the material remains. Inscriptions found on funerary stelai contribute some information about Lydian attitudes towards the tomb and its equipment, but the incomplete state of our knowledge of the Lydian language makes secure interpretation of these texts impossible. Literary sources that relate to Lydian funerary practices are few and provide only limited assistance in filling in the gaps left by the physical evidence.; The archaeological record reveals a variety of burial types including simple cists, sarcophagi of clay and stone, carved chamber tombs and built chambers covered by tumuli. Stelai with formulaic curses against disturbing the tomb marked the entrances to some carved chamber complexes, while "phallos" markers are often found in association with built tombs and tumuli. Tomb furnishings in carved chambers are limited to rock-carved benches and sarcophagi. In built chamber tombs, simple freestanding benches or klinai of stone, some with elaborately carved legs, are found. Grave gifts mostly consist of vessels for eating and drinking and items of personal adornment.; On the basis of the archaeological evidence, the Lydians do not appear to have had a well-developed view of life beyond the grave. Their approach to funerary practices was eclectic, reflecting a combination of native Lydian (carved and built chambers), Anatolian (tumuli), Near Eastern (stelai with curse formulae) and East Greek (typical grave assemblages) traditions. |
