Throughout history, people have believed in powers greater than
themselves. This area of the gallery examines the changing burial
rites and religious beliefs of early people.
Dead and sometimes buried
The earliest formal burials we know of are those of the early
farmers, who often buried their dead in communal tombs. From around
2500 BC individual burials became common. Then, around 1700 BC,
cremation was favoured. The Romans brought their own traditions,
including the use of elaborate grave monuments for high-ranking
officials.
With Christianity came burials without grave goods in graves
aligned east-west, to ensure that on Judgment Day the dead could
rise to face their maker. Viking settlers in the ninth century AD
brought another set of pagan practices, with people buried fully
clothed with their possessions, some even buried in their
boats.
Glimpses of the sacred
We have only a fragmented notion of early beliefs and religious
practices, but the material assembled in this section of the
gallery illustrates how strong a part was played in everyday life
by belief in the supernatural.
The central area of the display presents Pictish engravings on
stones and small objects. These symbols have attracted attention
and speculation for centuries but no one knows exactly what their
meaning is. Even without that understanding, we can recognize their
power and the existence of a complex belief system.
With the introduction of written information we begin to have a
better understanding of religious beliefs and practices. Once we
reach the time of Roman religion and early Christianity, we have a
more complete picture of what people believed.
Things to see
This is one of the most atmospheric, occasionally eerie yet
peaceful areas of the National Museum of Scotland. Highlights
include the fascinating Hilton of Cadboll stone, which dates from
AD800 and depicts a female artistocrat riding out with a hunting
party, and the grisly Cramond lionness, a stone memorial which
depicts a lionness devouring a beareded, naked man. You can also
see the oldest human figure from Scotland, an oak image of a female
that was probably a fertility idol.
An intact Viking boat burial from Kiloran Bay, Colonsay, in
Argyll and Bute, dating from 875-925 AD provides a fascinating
glimpse into Viking life and death through a diverse array of grave
goods.