ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Burial in Anglo-Saxon England

Long ago in England, the Anglo-Saxon people had a special way of taking care of someone when they passed away. This was called burial. When someone died, their family and friends would prepare their body in a special way and put it in the ground.

The Anglo-Saxons believed that the body needed to be buried properly so that the person's soul could go to heaven. They also believed that the person's possessions should be buried with them so that they could use them in the afterlife.

When someone died, their body was washed and dressed in clean clothes. Then, it was placed in a special box called a coffin. The coffin was often made of wood and decorated with carvings or paintings. The coffin was then buried in a special place called a cemetery.

The cemetery was usually located outside of the town or village where the person lived. It was often marked with special stones, called grave markers, so that people could find their loved ones later on. The grave markers would sometimes include the person's name and important information about their life.

Sometimes, the Anglo-Saxons would bury their dead with special items, like weapons, jewelry, and even food. They believed that these items would be useful to the person in the afterlife. Some burial sites even contained entire treasures!

Over time, the way that the Anglo-Saxons buried their dead changed. They started using more elaborate coffins and grave markers, and they began to bury their dead in churches instead of outside in cemeteries. But no matter how they did it, one thing remained the same – the Anglo-Saxons believed that burying their loved ones properly was very important, both for the person who passed away and for their loved ones who would miss them.