Funeral Celebrations: Back to the Future

Traditionally viewed as solemn rites of mourning, today’s funerals have evolved into creative rituals focused on the life and personality of the person who died. This shift in thought and practice is reflected in euphemistic phrases such as “celebration of life,” a common alternative term for a funeral. Now it seems that “celebration” part isn’t so new after all, according to a report in the journal Antiquity (December 2008).

The report focuses on a recent archeological study in which researchers found evidence of “memorial feasting” connected to centuries-old burial sites in Brazil and Argentina. According to archeologist and study co-author José Iriarte, the Jê people who inhabited the region in the 12th and 13th centuries “feasted on meat that had been steamed in the earth ovens and drank maize beer” following the burial of a community’s chief or other important person.

Excavations of the ancient cemeteries revealed earthen ovens and unidentified animal remains. Ceramic bowls and vessels were also found – some still bearing a corn residue believed to be evidence of the alcoholic maize-and-honey beverage favored by the Jê people.