The widespread worship of heroes and ancestors in ancient Mediterranean cultures does not seem to have existed north of the Alps. Is this merely a gap in the research or a fundamental difference in mentality? Comparison of archeological and written sources between North and South reveals only gradual differences. An integrated view across cultural and academic boundaries offers new insights and raises new research questions.

F. Müller, Bernisches Historisches Museum/Universität Bern, Schweiz.