Burial practices differ by region, by culture, and by religious beliefs. Some Vikings were buried in their boat. Important Egyptians were buried with their possessions. Hindus cremate their dead.
Last week I read an article that brought tears to my eyes. During an excavation in a Romanian monastery’s courtyard, archaeologists found a shocking burial. They estimated the burial to date back to about 1450-1455. The surprise was the burial’s occupant. A young couple were buried holding hands. The archaeologists think that the couple was buried facing each other.
The man had a badly broken hip which they think may have caused his death but the woman had no indications of any injury and wore a brass ring. That left the team to speculate that she died of a heart attack or, what they prefer, a broken heart.
Other burial practices include:
The Zoroastrians, an ancient tribe in Iran, believe that their dead should not pollute the earth. Each town has a Tower of Silence where they put their dead to face the elements and animals. When only the bones are left, they collect them and dissolve them in lye. As a note, the Zoroastrians are believed to be the oldest religion, a precursor to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
The Australian tribes placed their dead in trees. Like the Zoroastrians, they give the dead to the weather and animals.
The Tibetan’s Sky Burial also left their dead to the weather and animals, specifically vultures. They encouraged the birds with food offerings in hopes that they birds would carry the dead off.
Prior to the plague, Europeans buried their dead in bogs. Over the years there has been much speculation about sacrifices and burial.
Sati, burning the widow, is an outlawed Hindu custom.
Italian Couple 6,000 Years Old
But the thought of loving couple buried together is something I never thought about. I thought the burial in Romania was an oddity. It seems there are others. A similar couple was found in Italy in 2007. There authorities said the remains were 6,000 years old. This couple was found with their arms and legs intertwined.
What a wonderful basis for a romance!
What an interesting post. Not sure a story that ends with the couple in a grave together is quite the HEA most romance readers are looking for but it would make a fabulous secondary plot point.