Thracian chamber tombs (5th-2nd Centuries BC)

Thesis

This thesis is a detailed study of 77 Thracian chamber tombs dated between the 5th and 2nd centuries BC. It is the largest collection of data available about Thracian tombs from this period, and has two aims: first, to provide a comprehensive, up-to-date overview of the material; second to analyse the data and demonstrate how the tombs fit their local and regional contexts. It establishes that these tombs are indicative a coherent set of values present in Thrace, and at the same time are the product of a regional trend in the Classical and Hellenistic periods, which blends local traditions with external influences.

The thesis is divided into seven sections: an introduction, five chapters, and a conclusion. Chapter 1 introduces the present study, outlining its scope, goals, and structure, and summarising the state of previous scholarship. Each of the five chapters focuses on a different aspect of the tombs. Chapter 2 examines the materials used to build the tombs (two main categories – brick and stone); how they were procured, and how they may have affected the design of the tombs. Chapter 3 focuses on the tomb buildings. It identifies the four most common features of their plans (dromoi, facades, antechambers, and burial chambers) and two types of auxiliary structures porches and forecourts), and discusses the design, building techniques, and (where applicable) the furniture and decoration of each structure. Chapter 4 studies the finds from the tombs; it is organised by architectural structure, beginning with the dromoi and ending with the burial chambers. The fifth chapter is a discussion of the human remains found at the sites, and what they reveal about Thracian burial practices. Chapter 6 focuses on the tumuli. It examines the construction (shape and supporting structures, such as crepis walls) and use (how many monuments and burials per mound, use over time) of tumuli, as well as the relationship between tumuli in a necropolis (such as individual vs. groups of mounds, interaction with the local landscape, visibility). Chapter 8 summarises the present study, suggests pathways for future research, and provides a broad discussion of the significance of Thracian built chamber tombs from this period.

Authors: Atanassova, BA

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-bxveyrrkx
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: classical archaeology; funerary archaeology; built chamber tombs; Thrace; classical antiquity
• Subjects: Classical Archaeology; Archaeology; Sepulchral monuments