1. Marathon tombs

2. The Athenian MoundThe Plataean Mound A Mycenaen tomb at Marathon

3. Soros A burial mound The Athenian burial mound was thought to just be a monument, but the remains of separately cremated bodies in vases were discovered Trenches cut to hold ashes from yearly sacrifices

4. Why a mass grave? Homer’s Iliad speaks of mass cremation in funeral pyres Multiple mounds found in Marathon – copied the idea According to Thucydides, the battle of Marathon was so important that they were to be buried where they fell – more prestigious

5. Where did the idea come from? Mycenaea – tholos (beehive tomb) Homer’s Iliad Horse graves Kurgans

6. Russia in the 4 th millenium BC Nomadic people conquering in the Middle East, Europe, etc Did not conquer in Greece, only influenced Kurgan graves are mound shaped and built up with rocks

7. Excavations H. Schliemann in 1884 – failed due to water welling into their site Schliemann maintained that the site was older than the battle and was unrelated Ephor Valerios Stais in 1890 and 91 Spyridon Marinatos in 1970

8. Stais’ excavation Thick layer of charcoal and ash Bothros – remains of the funeral banquet (it was covered with ash and food residue, as well as vase fragments) Some of the vases were older than the actual site – vases were left as tribute to the dead and had been family heirlooms

9. The Persian dead Mass grave – church of Panaghia Mesosporitissa now stands German Captain Eschenburg – 1884/85 mapped Marathon – found hundreds of bodies haphazardly thrown Total Persian dead was 6400

10. Bibliography Gardner, Percy. Sculptured Tombs of Hellas. 1896 Petrakos, Basil. Marathon. 1996 The World of Athens. 1984 MacKenzie, Compton. Marathon and Salamis. 1934 http://www.livius.org/man-md/marathon/marathon.html http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/G/great_excava tions/pasts.html http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/G/great_excava tions/pasts.html http://www.reference-wordsmith.com/cgi- bin/lookup.cgi?exact=1&terms=marathon http://www.reference-wordsmith.com/cgi- bin/lookup.cgi?exact=1&terms=marathon