“Burial Goods”
Part of Speech: Noun Phrase
Quick Definition: Personal possessions, food, or symbolic objects placed in a grave alongside human remains.
General Use: The excavation of the Royal Tombs of Ur revealed a staggering array of Burial Goods, including golden lyres and lapis lazuli jewelry. Consequently, the site provided excellent evidence of Sumerian craftsmanship and provided a clear record of early dynastic wealth.
Overview
The practice of including Burial Goods—also known as grave goods or funerary offerings—is a near-universal human behavior that spans from the Middle Paleolithic to the modern era. These items are intentionally deposited at the time of interment or cremation to serve as “viaticum” or provisions for the soul’s transition. Unlike accidental inclusions, these objects are strategically placed, often in specific orientations relative to the body. Moreover, the complexity and value of the goods typically correlate with the social status of the deceased within their community. Consequently, these assemblages function as a frozen snapshot of the wealth, technology, and artistic standards of a specific historical moment.
ART — The Aesthetics of Eternity – The aesthetic quality of Burial Goods is often superior to that of everyday items, as these objects were intended to endure for eternity as a tribute to the deceased. Artisans frequently utilized the most precious materials available—such as gold, jade, or ivory—to create miniature versions of worldly luxuries. Furthermore, the decoration on these items often features protective symbols or scenes from mythology designed to guide the spirit. This transition from functional tool to sacred art transforms the grave into a gallery of cultural values and technical mastery.
HIDDEN TRUTH — The Economy of the Afterlife – The technical secret behind the distribution of Burial Goods lies in the “wealth destruction” it represented for the living community. By interring vast amounts of precious metal and labor-intensive artifacts, a society intentionally removed these resources from their earthly economy. Therefore, this act served to limit inflation and reinforce the exclusivity of the ruling class. Moreover, the demand for funerary items drove ancient trade routes, as elites sought exotic materials to secure their status in the next world.
FACT — The Biological Archive – The historical value of Burial Goods extends beyond the objects themselves to the organic remains often preserved within them. Pottery jars interred as grave goods frequently contain traces of ancient wine, beer, or specialized food offerings, which can be analyzed using gas chromatography. Additionally, the presence of textiles or leather items in contact with metal burial goods is often preserved through “mineral replacement.” Consequently, these goods act as accidental time capsules for prehistoric biology and diet.
Quick Facts
| First Evidence | Middle Paleolithic (Qafzeh/Skhul) |
| Common Items | Weapons, Jewelry, Pottery, Food |
| Precious Materials | Gold, Silver, Lapis Lazuli, Jade, Amber |
| Function | Utility, Status Display, Protection |
| Archeological Term | Funerary Assemblage |
| Cultural Variance | Varies from minimalist to monumental |
| Symbolic Role | Identifying the deceased to the gods |
| Economic Impact | Resource removal from the living economy |
| Key Discovery | Sutton Hoo, Tutankhamun, Terracotta Army |
| Afterlife Concept | The “Second Life” or Journey to the Stars |
| Preservation | Often the best-preserved artifacts found |
| Modern Practice | Photographs, Letters, and Keepsakes |
Did you know?
The typical Egyptian Pharaoh viewed Burial Goods not as symbolic tokens, but as literal equipment that would be magically “activated” in the Field of Reeds. Because the soul required sustenance and service, the tomb was stocked with “Ushabti” figurines—miniature servants designed to perform manual labor on behalf of the deceased. Furthermore, the inclusion of complex board games like Senet suggests that the afterlife was expected to include leisure as well as duty. Therefore, the tomb was essentially a self-contained ecosystem designed to sustain the spirit for all of time.
Primary Context Definition
Burial Goods are built almost entirely of the cultural priorities of the era, reflecting what a society deemed most essential for existence. Scribes and artisans prepared these items by selecting the highest-grade raw materials, often specifically commissioned for the funeral. The objects are subsequently arranged around the body in a ritualized “tableau,” such as placing a coin in the mouth to pay the ferryman or a sword in the hand of a warrior. Moreover, the orientation of these goods often aligns with celestial bodies or geographic features considered sacred.
Etymology: From the Old English byrgan (“to hide/bury”) and the Proto-Germanic gōda (“possessions”).
Synonyms: Grave goods, Funerary offerings, Mortuary furniture, Viaticum.
Antonyms: Hearth goods (domestic items), Surface finds, Debris.
Thesaurus: Artifacts, Votive, Sepulchral, Assemblage.
The subterranean chambers and sacred necropolises of the ancient world serve as the primary locus of activity for the recovery of these artifacts. Beyond their religious significance, these goods are utilized by modern researchers to map prehistoric trade networks and social stratigraphy. Today, these fragile assemblages are continuously maintained in museum environments to prevent the degradation of organic materials like wood and silk. Furthermore, the ethical repatriation of these items to descendant communities remains a communal task for the global archeological community.
Historical Context of Burial Goods
The development of Burial Goods is historically linked to the emergence of complex symbolic thought and the belief in a continued existence after death. In the Neolithic, the inclusion of polished stone axes and finely crafted pottery marked the beginning of settled societies where property ownership extended into the grave. Similarly, the “Warrior Burials” of the Bronze Age introduced the tradition of interring horses and chariots, reflecting a society where military prowess was the ultimate status symbol. Furthermore, the rise of major world religions like Buddhism and Christianity eventually led to a decline in elaborate grave goods in some regions, as the focus shifted from material preparation to spiritual merit.
Social Context of Burial Goods
The curation of Burial Goods provides a stark visual record of the disparities and civic values present in ancient communities. By comparing a pauper’s simple grave to a king’s monumental tomb, researchers can quantify the “wealth gap” of a specific era with remarkable precision. Within the funeral ritual, the public display of these goods served to validate the successor’s right to rule by demonstrating the family’s control over labor and luxury. Furthermore, the mass manufacture of these items provided steady employment for specialized guilds of goldsmiths, potters, and weavers. Maintaining the sanctity of these goods was a communal effort enforced by religious taboos and the fear of ancestral wrath, ensuring that the social order remained intact even in the face of mortality.
Terms Related to Burial Goods
| Viaticum | Provisions or money intended for the journey to the afterlife. |
| Ushabti | Egyptian figurines meant to work for the deceased. |
| Cenotaph | A grave monument without the actual body, often containing goods. |
| Sarcophagus | A stone coffin, often decorated and filled with personal items. |
| Necropolis | A “city of the dead” where major burial goods are concentrated. |
| Votive | An object offered in fulfillment of a vow or as a gift to a deity. |
| In Situ | Finding an object in its original place of burial. |
| Assemblage | The complete set of objects found together in a single grave. |
| Lapis Lazuli | A blue semi-precious stone highly prized as a burial good. |
| Obol | A coin placed in the mouth of the dead in Greek tradition. |
| Excarnation | The removal of flesh before burial, which changes the goods included. |
| Kurgans | Mound burials typical of the Eurasian steppes containing horses. |
| Jade Suite | Chinese burial suits made of jade tiles for immortality. |
| Hearth | Domestic items like cooking pots found in female burials. |
| Patina | The surface layer on metal burial goods caused by soil chemistry. |
| Looting | The illegal removal of burial goods, which destroys context. |
| Status Symbol | An object interred solely to show the deceased’s rank. |
| Amulet | A small object intended to protect the wearer from evil. |
| Canopic Jar | Egyptian jars containing organs, considered part of the goods. |
| Stratigraphy | The study of soil layers to date the burial goods. |
| Fibula | An ancient brooch or pin used to fasten the burial shroud. |
| Ritual Kill | Intentionally breaking a burial good to “release” its spirit. |
| Pithos | A large storage jar used as a coffin or for food offerings. |
| Tomb Robbery | A practice as old as burials themselves, targeting goods. |
| Effigy | A representation of a person, sometimes interred as a proxy. |
| Charon’s Obol | The specific coin used to pay the ferryman of the underworld. |
Sources & Credits
Sources
- The Archeology of Death and Burial – Parker Pearson, M. Texas A&M University Press, 1999. [Historical and theoretical source]
- Grave Goods: Objects and Death in Later Prehistoric Britain – Cooper, A., et al. Oxbow Books, 2019. [Material culture analysis source]
- Death and the Afterlife in Ancient Egypt – Taylor, J. H. British Museum Press, 2001. [Religious and cultural archive]
- Prehistoric Burial Customs – Nature Journal. [Scientific and biological preservation source]
- The Royal Tombs of Ur – Woolley, C. L. Penn Museum. [Primary context and trivia source]
