This volumes applies the theory and methods developed in the study of mortuary remains by Americanist archaeologists to the earliest farming societies of continental Europe-those of modern-day mainland Greece. Historically, such research has predominantly focused on seeking out the social dimensions of life that influenced mortuary behaviour. The author explores the origins of social ranking during the Neolithic and goes on to consider how death is wrapped up in so much more than the social standing of the deceased, and seeing how archaeologists may be able to detect the many dimensions of life influencing the disposal of the dead.