Funerary Practices, Female Identities, and the Clay Pyxis in Late Minoan III Crete

In the funerary archaeology of LM III Crete, studies aimed at highlighting the specific links existing between gender, age, social status, and material culture are almost nonexistent. On the other hand, the analysis of the funerary system within the framework of the Mycenaean states confirms that different treatments were reserved for males, females, and children. On the basis of those instances for which osteological analyses are available, the funerary evidence of LM III Crete allows us to identify objects that present recurring and significant associations in terms of representation of gender. The aim of this chapter is to demonstrate the role played by the clay pyxis in relation to female identity. Its adoption on Crete in funerary contexts is an entirely new phenomenon that, starting from the LM IIIA2, documents the use of this vessel as a marker of a specifically female identity.