The Transitional Importance of Mycenaean Children: A Comprehensive Analysis on the Perceptions of Children in Mycenaean Greece
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Date
2023
Authors
Bates, Katie
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Mount Saint Vincent University
Abstract
The prominence of infant mortality often results in societies developing social constructs
(be it that of religion, family, etc) to aid the mass populous in reconciling with the tragic fact that
many children would not survive past infancy. In the case of the Greek Mycenaean period
(c.1600 BC- 1200 BC), the mortality rate was what is considered “U-Shaped” meaning that
fatalities peaked both during infancy and old age– as is typical amongst pre-industrial societies.1
Those who died within infancy, referring to those aged 0-12 months, were provided with burials
atypical to those of their older counterparts. Being widely excluded from typical Extramural
burials, deceased infants were typically laid to rest either within or near their families home.
Whilst this ‘home burial’ phenomenon depicts a centrality of importance of infant death in the
domestic context, it also seemingly demonstrates an exclusion of infants from the larger
Mycenaean society. When burial practices are analyzed in conjunction with textual and artistic
evidence, a social paradigm begins to become clear. The attitudes toward children in Mycenaean
Greece transitioned from a domestic importance to a larger social importance as they aged and
became less likely to succumb to infant mortality.