and interpreted within a framework mainly based on concepts of cultural interaction rather than cultural polarisation. Thus, the dogma of ´The Greek and the Others´ is challenged, and alternative perceptions of interactions between the people in the Black Sea region form the basis of the study.

The burials are primarily analysed with emphasis on social strategies and cultural diversity. Furthermore, the Black Sea region is set into a comparative perspective through an outlook on burial customs and mortuary practices in the colonial milieus of contemporary Southern Italy.