To the Kitchen, on the Tables and... to the Afterlife. Remains of Eggs in Early Medieval Graves from Poland
In the early Middle Ages, birds were the source of meat, fat, feathers, and eggs. Their main supplier was domestic poultry, especially chickens. Eggs were an important and widely available component of the diet, but also played a role, among other things, in the funeral rituals of that time. In the...
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Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology Polish Academy of Sciences
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Fasciculi Archaeologiae Historicae |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.iaepan.pl/fah/article/view/4000 |
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| author | Tomasz Kurasiński |
| author_facet | Tomasz Kurasiński |
| author_sort | Tomasz Kurasiński |
| collection | DOAJ |
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In the early Middle Ages, birds were the source of meat, fat, feathers, and eggs. Their main supplier was domestic poultry, especially chickens. Eggs were an important and widely available component of the diet, but also played a role, among other things, in the funeral rituals of that time. In the cemeteries of the early Piast period, their remains in the form of shells are a rarely recorded element of grave furnishings (33 graves from thirteen cemeteries). These finds occur mainly in burials of children (infans) and adolescents (iuvenis). There are various meanings, content, and connotations associated with depositing eggs as grave goods, relating to both pagan and Christian religious worldviews. The key issues seem to be those related to fertility, stimulation of life forces, regeneration, and transformation. The magical and protective significance of the egg is also revealed.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d45c87d5176a4a74bbbf7c1f15a98bd9 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 0860-0007 2719-7069 |
| language | deu |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology Polish Academy of Sciences |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Fasciculi Archaeologiae Historicae |
| spelling | doaj-art-d45c87d5176a4a74bbbf7c1f15a98bd92025-08-20T02:38:27ZdeuInstitute of Archaeology and Ethnology Polish Academy of SciencesFasciculi Archaeologiae Historicae0860-00072719-70692024-12-013710.23858/FAH37/2024.001To the Kitchen, on the Tables and... to the Afterlife. Remains of Eggs in Early Medieval Graves from PolandTomasz Kurasiński0Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Łódź In the early Middle Ages, birds were the source of meat, fat, feathers, and eggs. Their main supplier was domestic poultry, especially chickens. Eggs were an important and widely available component of the diet, but also played a role, among other things, in the funeral rituals of that time. In the cemeteries of the early Piast period, their remains in the form of shells are a rarely recorded element of grave furnishings (33 graves from thirteen cemeteries). These finds occur mainly in burials of children (infans) and adolescents (iuvenis). There are various meanings, content, and connotations associated with depositing eggs as grave goods, relating to both pagan and Christian religious worldviews. The key issues seem to be those related to fertility, stimulation of life forces, regeneration, and transformation. The magical and protective significance of the egg is also revealed. https://journals.iaepan.pl/fah/article/view/4000early Middle Agesfuneral ritualsgrave goodsremains of eggsegg symbolismmeaning of birds |
| spellingShingle | Tomasz Kurasiński To the Kitchen, on the Tables and... to the Afterlife. Remains of Eggs in Early Medieval Graves from Poland Fasciculi Archaeologiae Historicae early Middle Ages funeral rituals grave goods remains of eggs egg symbolism meaning of birds |
| title | To the Kitchen, on the Tables and... to the Afterlife. Remains of Eggs in Early Medieval Graves from Poland |
| title_full | To the Kitchen, on the Tables and... to the Afterlife. Remains of Eggs in Early Medieval Graves from Poland |
| title_fullStr | To the Kitchen, on the Tables and... to the Afterlife. Remains of Eggs in Early Medieval Graves from Poland |
| title_full_unstemmed | To the Kitchen, on the Tables and... to the Afterlife. Remains of Eggs in Early Medieval Graves from Poland |
| title_short | To the Kitchen, on the Tables and... to the Afterlife. Remains of Eggs in Early Medieval Graves from Poland |
| title_sort | to the kitchen on the tables and to the afterlife remains of eggs in early medieval graves from poland |
| topic | early Middle Ages funeral rituals grave goods remains of eggs egg symbolism meaning of birds |
| url | https://journals.iaepan.pl/fah/article/view/4000 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT tomaszkurasinski tothekitchenonthetablesandtotheafterliferemainsofeggsinearlymedievalgravesfrompoland |