From miniature objects to giant ones: The process of defunctionalisation in sanctuaries and graves in Iron Age Greece

This chapter interprets the changes made to the size of different objects, whether giant or miniature, as the consequences of the process of defunctionalisation of offerings placed in sanctuaries and tombs. Defunctionalisation represents the loss of an object’s utilitarian function. It gives the object a new aspect that then raises new questions regarding social order (the separation of society into different age and gender groups) and economy (the origins of coins, offerings, and counter-offerings).