Protohistoric metal-urn cremation burials (1400–100 BC): a pan-European phenomenon

Archaeologists have long looked to Homeric epic, which describes the collection of heroes’ ashes in metal vessels for interment, as a comparison high-status burials found Greek world and, beyond, temperate Europe. Rarely, however, has phenomenon aristocratic metal-urn cremation across Bronze and Iron Age Europe Mediterranean been analysed single phenomenon. The author presents continental-scale study based on corpus nearly 600 burials, identifying chronological geographical patterns. results emphasise how this elite funerary custom drew extended set shared values practices first millennium BC.