During the early Celtic civilisation many of the dead were buried in tumulus graves, these were large burial mounds or barrows that were constructed over the grave. Inside the graves they would place significant belongings, like gold or bronze artefacts, pots, food and beverages, clothes and wagons. The most significant piece of evidence for the Celtic tumulus graves was the Hochdorf grave which had not been touched since 550 BCE. The tomb encased a man of approximately 45 years of age and he was around 1.87 metres in height and present in his tomb they found many gold and bronze artefacts. These tombs indicate that the Celts may have believed in reincarnation or a rebirth as they placed important belongings for the dead to take with them …show more content…
Sacrifices of sheep and oxen were performed and the fat was placed onto the dead while the carcasses were placed around it. Then jars of honey and oil were also placed around the body and horses, dogs and slaves belonging to the dead were slain and piled atop the pyre. After this ritual was complete the fire was lit, people would then cry in mourning and the dead’s name would be repeatedly wailed. Then the fire would be extinguished with wine and the bones and ashes were removed and placed in a golden urn, the urn was then buried. This burial practice was written about in Julius Caesar's The Gallic Wars, in his account of the practice he speaks of casting fire to living things. Their funerals, considering the state of civilization among the Gauls, are magnificent and costly; and they cast into the fire all things, including living creatures, which they suppose to have been dear to them when alive; and, a little before this period, slaves and dependents, who were ascertained to have been beloved by them, were, after the regular funeral rites were completed, burnt together with them. - Julius Caesar, The Gallic