Death in Archaeology

The death of Sarpidon  New York Metropolitan Museum ,  Wikipedia
The Orphic myth teaches that the soul with the birth goes down to the material and sinful world as a divine foreigner. Enters to body, what becomes the "sign" (“to sima”, means “to soma” means the body) that is to say her grave. The soul however should be released from this prison, so that to return again to her spiritual homeland. That is why the Orphics put to the hands of deads small golden plates, to which they engraved the sign or emblem of faith: "Aytar emoi gender celestial" that is to say,  I come from the ground, but my origin is celestial. The deads would show this plates as a type. . passport, as soon as they would reach to the gates of the other world!

Figurine of a Mourning Woman7th century BC, Terracotta, H. 15.5 cm; Diam. base 9 cm
Crete, Cemetery of Arkades, tomb B
Heraklion Archaeological Museum, Π 7995
The woman is depicted as sitting with hands on her head, a typical gesture of female mourning that represents the ultimate expression of anguish at loss of the deceased.

Figure of a Mourning Woman, 
7th century BC, Clay, H. 31.5 cm, W. 12.5 cm
Santorini, Cemetery of Ancient Thera
Archaeological Museum of Thera, 392
"The rituals of death, the leading role played by women in them, and the emotions that death arouses—above all the fear of death—have remained the same from the first moments of human consciousness right up to our own day."
Read more: (in Greek)

http://www.egolpion.net/musthrio-thanatou.el.aspx 



The oldest depiction of the soul, the tiny rider form surrounded by mourners. Protoattiko cup with high foot from the Kerameikos of Athens. 680 BC Ceramic Museum (1153). 
Source: http://www.archaiologia.gr/
Read :
Ancient theories about the Soul