Goal for today is to be done in 300 words or less.
The blog prompt this week really
got me thinking about the difference between who we think we are and what
others see and I feel that this is clearly reflected in the significance we
ascribe to grave-goods.
As a case in point let me get somewhat morbid
for a few minutes and describe what I would want in my grave.
There is really only one thing I
would want to be buried with. My simple silver necklace in the shape of a
Celtic Cross.
It is not valuable or a family heirloom but it
does represent what is most important to me. Not religion, faith or
spirituality but tradition and heritage. In case you hadn’t guessed by this
point my family comes from the British Isles, more specifically from Scotland,
Ireland and Wales and my necklace is really the only connection I have to my
roots. But is that what others would see?
If I were to be excavated in a
thousand years what would the archaeologists think? Would I be seen as a Christian?
Would I be put into a low socio-economic class because of its low value? Would
they ascribe significance to the fact that it is silver and not gold? My sister
wears a similar cross but hers is a reminder of the time she spent as a nanny
in Ireland and bears no family significance, would we be interpreted in the
same way? Ultimately, the significance I ascribe to the cross will likely be
lost.
So perhaps (to get somewhat
anthropological for a moment) we should use caution when ascribing too much
meaning to grave goods as we can never really know their original significance.
What do you think?
Awesome. 300 words exactly.
Cheers,
No comments:
Post a Comment