In the archaeological site of Sissi, Crete, researchers have uncovered compelling evidence of a mysterious ancient ritual—one that marked the end of an era and revealed how a Minoan community chose to say goodbye to its dead in a highly symbolic way.

The Final Celebration at the Cemetery

In what archaeologists have designated as Zone 9, a remarkable ceremony took place around 1700 BCE. First, the people of Sissi buried their last deceased in small pits and ceramic vessels. Then came something even more striking: they carefully dismantled the tomb walls, deliberately broke some of the human remains to “level them” with the earth, and hosted a large communal feast.

This wasn’t random destruction. Excavations uncovered a layer of soil filled with thousands of pottery fragments—broken cups, kitchen bowls, and other domestic items—all dating to the same period. Researchers believe these were not discarded trash, but the remains of a ceremonial gathering held by the community to mark a profound transition.

After the feast, participants covered the area with a thick layer of earth and stones, sealing it off permanently. What’s especially intriguing is that centuries later, when people began burying their dead at the site again, they treated this earlier burial ground as sacred and untouchable—almost as if it were forbidden to disturb.

A Ritual of Letting Go

Room 9.6, containing the clay vessels FE147, FE148, and FE149 (left), and details of the clay vessels during excavation (right). Photo: N. Kress, A. Schmitt / Belgian School at Athens

Why destroy the tombs? According to the researchers, this was not a random act but a conscious response to sweeping social change. Around the same time, Crete was entering a new era marked by the construction of the first palaces—such as at Knossos—and a shift toward more centralized forms of social organization.

Communal tombs, previously linked to families or clans, began to lose their significance. In their place, new types of sacred spaces emerged: mountaintop sanctuaries and ritual caves. The act of “burying the tombs” was not simply abandonment—it was a powerful statement. As the archaeologists explain, it was the community’s way of saying: “This form of burial no longer represents us—but we won’t forget it.”

A Widespread Practice

Sissi isn’t the only place where this kind of ritual farewell has been discovered. At Moni Odigitria in southern Crete, archaeologists found a circular tomb that had been emptied, its contents reburied in a pit alongside hundreds of smashed cups. On the hill of Kefala Petra, some tombs were deliberately filled with stones—a gesture interpreted as a form of symbolic closure, or even a “ritual killing.”

However, not all Minoan cemeteries met the same fate. Many fell into disuse over time, while others remained active for non-burial rituals. These variations suggest that each community responded differently to the same era of transformation.

What Makes the Sissi Discovery Unique?

What sets the Sissi site apart is the extraordinary level of detail with which the ritual was documented. Thanks to modern archaeological techniques—such as bone analysis and stratigraphy—researchers were able to reconstruct the precise sequence of events: from the final burials to the communal feast and the eventual sealing of the cemetery.

In the past, many Minoan cemeteries were excavated rapidly and published with minimal data. This new study highlights how carefully conducted excavations can reveal complex rituals and nuanced cultural shifts that were previously overlooked.

A Mosaic of Traditions

The findings at Sissi reinforce the idea that Minoan society was not monolithic, but rather a mosaic of diverse communities, each with its own customs and responses to change. Some may have clung to old traditions, while others, like the people of Sissi, chose to say goodbye to them—ritually and consciously.

Ultimately, these rituals weren’t just for the dead—they were for the living. As the archaeologists conclude, they were a way for people to come together in the face of uncertainty and declare, “This is who we are now.”