Publisher's Synopsis
This study examines the architecture, chronology, origins, burial practices and social dimension of a particular class of tombs, termed 'Built Chamber Tombs (BCTs)', in Middle and Late Bronze Age Greece. These tombs, which are provided with a lateral entrance and, often, a dromos, and are always used for multiple burial, have never until now been the subject of systematic examination. The data is laid out region by region, with a presentation of the architecture and contents of the BCTs from each site, examination of contemporary funerary evidence, and a survey of settlement information. It is demonstrated that BCTs appear in the later part of the MBA and predate the introduction of Mycenaean grave types. The contextual approach adopted makes clear that they are among the first tombs in each site to exhibit multiple burial and rich furnishing of the dead and that they are very probably associated with early 'elite groups'.
