The death of collective tombs in Middle Bronze Age Crete: new evidence from Sissi

The abandonment of collective tombs in Middle Bronze Age Crete testifies to substantial transformations in funerary, ritual and social practices on the island. Yet, the processes and timing of this abandonment were not uniform, and each cemetery can potentially offer new insights. While some collective tombs fell gradually into disuse, others were deliberately and ritually terminated. Here, the authors explore the cemetery at Sissi, where gradual abandonment in some areas contrasts with the ultimate demolition and burial of tombs in Zone 9 during a ceremony that marked a major shift in the social history of the associated community.