In Prehistoric Crete: Regional and Diachronic Studies on Mortuary Systems, editor Joanne M.A. Murphy (Classical Studies) brings together a group of essays that present "a diverse sample of contemporary scholarship on Crete." Archaeologists, divided by the time periods they study as well as locale, have built research silos, and Murphy seeks to bridge that gap with this volume.
As the publisher notes, "since the inception of Minoan archaeology, studies pertaining to tombs and tomb deposits have played seminal roles in our understanding of Minoan culture and the reconstruction of Bronze Age society. For several geographical areas and chronological periods of Cretan history, tombs are the most abundant source of data. Each author in this volume take a clear and distinct approach . . . including some that emphasize political geography . . . some that examine the commemoration of the dead . . . and others that underline the overlap between mortuary rituals and religion."
In addition to editing the book, Murphy contributed the introduction and a chapter entitled "Landscape and Social Narrative: A Study of Regional Social Structures in Prepalatial Crete."
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