Project Report. Cremation as a Multicultural Proxy: An Integrated Osteobiographical and Literary Analysis of Cremation Practices from the Hellenistic to the Roman Period in Thessaloniki

Predoctoral Fellow in Hellenic Studies 2025–26 [1]

The Pre-doctoral Fellowship awarded to me by the Center for Hellenic Studies of Harvard University provided invaluable support during the final stages of my doctoral research and represented a significant milestone in the accomplishment of my dissertation. In addition to its financial contribution, the fellowship represented an exceptional opportunity for academic development and international scholarly engagement. It enabled me to access and navigate through the extensive digital collections and research resources of both Harvard University and the Center for Hellenic Studies, significantly enhancing the breadth and depth of my research. Furthermore, it supported essential research-related expenses, including laboratory sampling and transportation, thereby facilitating the completion of key aspects of my investigation.

This fellowship also offered me the opportunity to present my research and engage in scholarly exchange with fellows from my cohort and participants in other CHS programmes during academic meetings held in Nafplio and Washington, D.C. These interactions provided valuable intellectual engagement and contributed to the further refinement of my research. A principal outcome of the fellowship was the publication of my article (Bantavanou, 2026), in the CHS Research Bulletin, Volume 14 (2026), entitled “Cremation as a Multicultural Proxy: An Integrated Osteobiographical and Literary Analysis of Cremation Practices from the Hellenistic to the Roman Period in Thessaloniki.” This publication represents a significant research output arising from the fellowship and reflects the scholarly opportunities and support provided by the Center for Hellenic Studies throughout the final stages of my doctoral work.

My participation in the fellowship programme at the Center for Hellenic Studies in both Greece and Washington, D.C. provided valuable insight into the Centre’s research activities, academic mission, and commitment to interdisciplinary scholarship. A fulfilling ten-day trip in Washington, D.C allowed for stimulating interdisciplinary discussions, access to CHS facilities and library resources, and time to appreciate the surroundings through walks around the facilities and parks with the companion of my co-fellows Mateu Portell Watson and Georgios Athanasiadis. In addition to the organised programme, I visited several of Washington’s major cultural institutions, including the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Air and Space Museum, which provided valuable historical and cultural perspectives complementary to my academic interests. The programme further included visits to Georgetown University, where we met with members of the faculty, and to Dumbarton Oaks, where we engaged with its research community and explored its distinguished library and museum collections. A particularly significant experience was the opportunity to visit the Library of Congress, whose collections and scholarly environment represent an invaluable resource for research in the humanities. Throughout the trip, we engaged in stimulating discussions and exchanged ideas on a broad range of topics relating to the ancient Greek world, benefiting from the diverse disciplinary perspectives represented within the fellowship cohort. These interactions fostered an intellectually enriching environment that encouraged dialogue across traditional disciplinary boundaries. During the visit we had the pleasure and opportunity to meet the executive director if CHS, Ms. Zoie Lafis and the director Mark Schiefsky. Our discussions addressed the history, mission, achievements, and future challenges of the Center, while also providing an opportunity to present and discuss my own research, academic objectives, and future aspirations.

The final milestone of our appointment was the dissemination of my research results to the academic community of Harvard University and the broader scholarly public. The research project supported by the fellowship examined the evolution of cremation as a burial practice in antiquity through the application of technological and analytical methods aimed at reconstructing the biological profile of the individuals while investigating the cremation process itself. The earliest evidence of cremation in Greece dates back to the Neolithic Age (6800–3000 BC). However, cremation became firmly established as a burial practice during the Classical period (450–324 BC). Cremation reached its highest frequency during the Hellenistic (323–31 BC) and Roman periods (31 BC–324 CE), while archaeological and topographical data indicate notable differences between these two eras. To investigate the role of cultural factors in the evolution of cremation, the research focused on the Hellenistic and Roman periods, showcasing the city of Thessaloniki. As one of the most important urban centers of the ancient Greek world, Thessaloniki presents exceptional chronological continuity, from its foundation in 316/315 BC to the present day, making it particularly well suited for diachronic investigation (Adam-Veleni, 2001; Valakopoulos, 1983). From an anthropological perspective, the application of analytical techniques provides significant on the biological characteristics of cremated individuals and the transformations induced by the cremation process. However, a comprehensive understanding of cremation as a funerary practice requires the integration of biological evidence with archaeological, historical, and literary data. Accordingly, the project adopted an interdisciplinary approach to examine not only the biological dimensions of cremation but also the cultural, social, and ideological factors that shaped its practice and development through time.

To achieve the project’s aims, I conducted a holistic anthropological study of cremated human remains, applying advanced technological methods, including Light microscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy – Attenuated Total Reflectance (FTIR-ATR), and Scanning Electron Microscope with Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). These analytical approaches were integrated with the examination of ancient Greek and Latin literary sources relating to cremation practices in antiquity. The analysis of cremated individuals was conducted through the extraction of small femoral bone samples, which were subsequently processed according to the requirements of each analytical technique. Light microscopy enabled the investigation of bone’s microstructure and the assessment of heat-induced alterations. These modifications provide valuable information regarding the temperatures reached during the cremation process, as well as the biological characteristics of the individuals, including age-at-death estimation. Within the framework of this research, a novel histomorphometric methodology developed during my doctoral studies was applied, providing significant data for the reconstruction of the biological identity of the cremated individuals (Absolonova et al., 2012; Bantavanou et al., submitted). FTIR-ATR analysis was employed to investigate heat-induced alterations in the molecular composition of bone. The resulting data provide important insights into the cremation process and the biomechanical responses of bone tissue to exposure to high temperatures (Stamataki et al., 2021, 2025). SEM-EDS analysis further contributed to the investigation by documenting changes in bone morphology and elemental composition, providing information on the effects of the cremation process at the microstructural and elemental levels (Ellingham et al., 2014; Ellingham et al., 2018). Finally, besides anthropological methods, extensive search in ancient Greek and latin literature was conducted in order to identify references to cremation practices throughout antiquity, with particular emphasis on the Hellenistic and Roman periods. Through the Pre-doctoral Fellowship, I was granted access to the HOLLIS library system, including the Harvard and CHS collections. These resources provided access to a wide range of scholarly materials and primary sources, including works by ancient poets and historians that document and contextualise funerary practices in antiquity.

The results of this multidisciplinary approach demonstrate, through empirical data, that cremation evolved as a burial practice partly under the influence of cultural factors. The chemical (Piga, 2016) and histological responses of the bones to exposure to high temperatures revealed differences in cremation practices between the two chronological periods. These variations suggest that cremation practitioners during the Roman period possessed a more advanced understanding of the cremation process and its technical requirements compared to earlier periods (Hope, 2009; Tonybee, 1971). Variations in bone composition and chemical preservation align with literary descriptions of complex pyre constructions and funerary rites, highlighting distinctions between the Hellenistic and Roman periods. Overall, the findings of this project illuminate the diversity of cultural responses to death in past societies and underscore the idea that societies function as living organisms adopting, adapting, and evolving over time.

Through this fellowship, I gained not only a deeper understanding of my own research but also the opportunity to expand my academic network, develop new research perspectives, and establish potential avenues for future scholarly collaboration. The fellowship represented a valuable opportunity for intellectual exchange and professional development, allowing me to engage with the broader research community of the Center for Hellenic Studies, share experiences and perspectives with fellow researchers, and further develop at a personal level as an independent scholar. I am sincerely grateful to my PhD supervisor, Prof. Papageorgopoulou Christina for entrusting me the osteological material and helping me to form the idea, to the CHS advisor Assistant Prof. Bazou Athina for her guidance and scientific input during the fellowship and finally, to CHS staff and Dr. Evangelos Katsarelis (Associate Director of Academic and Research Programs) for the support and delightful times, and I hope to maintain a lasting connection with the Center.