Kerameikos is also noteworthy as an ancient cemetery. This may have been a burial ground since before 2000 BC (Early Bronze Age). Most graves date from the 9th century BC until the 1st century AD. Elaborate sepulchral monuments were erected until the practice was forbidden in 317 BC. An example is the Molossian hound watching over the 52.5 foot grave of Lysimachides since 338 BC. The Greco-Roman dog breed is extinct. Among the modest steles on the right is a hand-shake memorial. This common motif represents a family member saying goodbye to a loved one.
