The study of death in social anthropology as well as in archaeology has been a foundational topic from the beginning of these disciplines. Indeed, death rituals, the treatment of the dead, tombs and the materiality surrounding all different phases are necessary in understanding human social life.

An important aspect of death are perceptions of humans in relation to the afterlife, as they are interconnected with death rituals and the process of passing from the world of the living to the world of the dead. Within this context ideas about vampirism, ghosts and hauntings are important in understanding the liminal and dangerous phases of these rituals.

As this course will be taking a longue durée approach to the study of death in Greece, we will be examining the ritual theory of death, the politics of death and burial, folk and literary stories that relate directly to our topics, the structure-history-meanings of the ancient and modern cemeteries of Athens and their materiality.

The students will have the opportunity to work in a project of their choice in the cemeteries of Athens situated at close distance from the institute.

Applicants: Anthropology, Archaeology and humanities students in BA (last year), MA & PhD

Deadline for applications: September 12

For more information and registration please click here: https://nia.gr/en/new-nia-course-the-anthropology-of-death-and-afterlife-26-october-2-november-2025/