Section Private Life: “Grooming” (Showcase 18)

Gold-plated bronze wreath
This particular wreath was found in the grave of a boy who died around 300 BC.
Gold-plated wreaths appear from the 5th century BC in tombs as a cheaper substitute for gold.
Around twenty gilded wreaths have been found in the cemeteries of Abdera. Their stem is made of lead or bone, the leaves are bronze, and the fruits are clay. The plant species represented are mainly olive and myrtle.
They had been placed on men and young children, probably boys, of 4-7 years of age. What is interesting is that they were not just deposited in the grave, but the dead were buried crowned. This reflects the belief of claiming the afterlife among the righteous.