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An Insight Into Grave Goods
By Tom Sangers
We all know that burials have been marked by headstones
since burials began, initially rocks and sticks but
developing into much more elaborate and highly crafted
memorials and statues over time. It is a subject of
great interest to many and as a result we have a wealth
of knowledge thanks to cemeteries, ranging from what the
different stone symbols mean to what sociological
setting the dead would have come from dependant on what
gravestone they had. It is generally considered that the
wealthier the person, the grander the headstone,
however, modern days have shown the trend to shift to
more subtle, inconspicuous markers with a simple curved
top gravestone and a little bit of inscription regarding
the dead.
A subject fascinating to many is the goods that were
buried with the bodies at the time of death, especially
for archaeological and anthropological reasons, again, a
lot of information regarding the dead from the period in
which the dead died and what was introduced to the grave
in terms of the goods offered can provide a lot of
information about the sociological setting of society at
that time.
Often, the grave items were personal possessions
supplied to help the death pass over to the afterlife.
Ancient Egypt is a great subject to research as they
believed what was buried with the dead could be used by
the dead in the afterlife. They also painted pictures
within the tombs of the dead enjoying life and being in
the company of family members along with working and
other everyday activities. Most grave goods have been
classed as inorganic, from terracotta urns to clay pots
and metal tools, however, there is evidence to show that
some goods have been organic and have decayed over the
years.
Grave goods are a type of votive deposit, which simply
means any object that is left in the spiritual place for
ritual purposes. These ancient offerings have been
employed over many faiths over many centuries, from
Christianity to Judaism. The first votive deposits in
Europe date back to the Neolithic, where polished axe
hoards, swords and spearheads were buried with the
bodies.
This article was written by Tom Sangers on behalf of AK
Lander who offer UK Gravestones and Marble Headstones |
