Jane Grenville
Department of Archaeology recently posted a message:
>When I was involved in the excavation of post-medieval burials at St
>Peter's Church, Barton-on-Humber, S Humberside, we came across a burial,
>probably C18th or 19th, with a plain white dinner plate in it - carefully
>placed, though I can't now remember whether it was at the head or the feet.
>Explain that one to me, somebody!
I can't explain it, but it is not an isolated case. In the First African
Baptist Church Cemetery, considerable data was made available regarding early
19th century black burial practices. West African burial traditions were
found to have carried over. Eight interments were found with a single coin,
usually a penny, near the head. The practice of putting coins over the eyes
of the dead has been recognized as a fairly standard "old fashioned" burial
practice; however, in West African folk belief, death represents a journey
to the spirit world and a single coin in the grave may be the fee for the
spirit to return to the African homeland (Parrington and Roberts 1990:150).
Six of the interments had a single shoe placed on the coffin. At first
glance, the shoe can be interpreted as a help for the journey. Nevertheless,
according to black folk belief, shoes also are associated with power, and
they were believed to keep the devil away (Parrington and Roberts 1990:150).
Two of the interments at the First African Baptist Church Cemetery were found
with ceramic plates in the coffin, resting on the stomach of the deceased.
Several interpretations of this cemetery tradition exist. Almost
inevitably, the association of salt being in the plate is made. One belief
is that the salt was to keep the body from swelling after death. Another
explanation was that the salt was to keep the devil away from the deceased.
In West African tradition, this practice was to prevent the spirit of the
dead from harming the living through the presence of the "energy" or
"essence" of the deceased in the plate (Parrington and Roberts 1990:150-151).
Chuck Niquette
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