Staging the manipulation of the dead in Pre- and Protopalatial Crete, Greece (3rd–early 2nd mill. BCE): From body wholes to fragmented body parts

Abstract Mortuary research in Pre- and Protopalatial Crete has until now focused on the exploration of features relating primarily to the mortuary landscape, the architecture of different grave types, and the deposition of grave goods. Acts contributing to the actual treatment of the body after burial, although classified under the general label of secondary treatment of the deceased, have only recently started a fruitful discussion regarding the different stages of mortuary complexity. This paper will examine key issues related to the manipulation of the deceased, such as the degree of articulation of the skeletal remains, the preferential selection and manipulation of certain anatomical units, and the fragmentation of the skeletal remains, while new evidence of burning of the skeletal remains will be also discussed. Aspects of differential manipulation of the deceased at the regional level reinforce the idea that death and death management in Crete represent a multi-stage social mechanism utilized by the living communities to link the present with the ancestors (lineage) and the communal past.