Facing Mortality: What would I be buried with?

According to Merriam-Webster.com grave goods are “objects (as weapons, ornaments, tools) that are found buried with the dead...”

Grave goods represent the identity of an individual, their family, and sometimes the society they live in. Some of my favourite ancient grave goods are the Mask of Agamemnon from Mycenae, Greece, and the jewellery from Priam’s Treasure found at Troy.

Fig. 1 Mask of Agamemnon

Fig. 2 Sophia Schliemann modelling jewellery from Troy

My professor asked us what sorts of grave goods we would include in our burial to portray our identity. While this is very morbid to consider, my first "grave good" would actually be a tree and flowers planted. I really like the idea as it represents the cycle of life and rebirth. I could have grave goods buried at the foot of the tree as well. The first object would be a necklace my grandparents gave me on my 14^th birthday. They live in Australia so it’s the only birthday I have celebrated with them. The pendant on the necklace is in the shape of a heart, and I would hope that the necklace portrays family ties and an emphasis on relationships. It's one of my good luck charms. I would also want my miniature of the Parthenon because I love ancient Greece and I am also half Greek. Even though it would not last I would like a photo album of all of my friends and places I have traveled. I would also like a framed picture of my family, and my copy of Lysistrata's Frogs and Clouds. I would hope that archaeologists find that I have close ties to my friends and family.

I asked some of my friends and family what they would bury with me. My friend Michelle said “your really pretty blue dress and with… a rose.” Michelle and I have joked about roses are very fitting for me, and therefore her choice makes sense. My friend Marie-Louise would include “a rose, a childhood photo of us eating popsicles and playing dress up, sailor moon DVDs, a photo album of my traveling, the Legend of Zelda games and a tennis racket.”  My friend Caitlyn focused more on location. She chose a tree or rose bush in my hometown with my family, as well as a plaque about my life. My brother said he would bury me with three things to show my identity:

 1) something that shows how much I love all of our family and friends so selflessly (maybe a scrapbook of photos and crafts/gifts/paintings/projects I made)
 2) a sea shell from Salt Spring Island
 3) a beautiful old set of Greek classic books

 My friends choices reflect memories we had together. Michelle and I were coworkers and roommates and had a lot of occasions to dress up for birthdays and staff banquets. Marie-Louise is one of my childhood friends, and the main theme of her choices is nostalgia. Caitlyn was another of my roommates, and we talked a lot about our family and hometowns. My brother has known me my whole life and his choices reflect memories with our family. Common themes between my friends choices and mine are roses, family, friends, and traveling. These represent ties to others around me, and memories I have had.