In 2014, archaeologists came across an interesting item from an early medieval grave in southeastern Germany. Ten years later they have been able to identify it as a hard-boiled egg.
The archaeological find was made in Langenpreising, located near Erding in Bavaria. The grave belonged to a boy who was approximately five years old when he died. Other grave goods found at the site, including weapons and belts, indicate that this boy was buried in the 7th century. However, the boy was buried with a 5-centimetre chicken egg which was likely hard-boiled.
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Photo courtesy Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation
“It is still unclear which custom underlies our Bavarian chicken egg,” says Dr. Jochen Haberstroh, archaeologist at the Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation (BLfD). “What is certain is that the egg had a special symbolic meaning for the relatives of the deceased. The location of the egg in the stomach area could indicate that it was added to food. Children in particular were given food in this position in the early Middle Ages.”
Having an egg buried with someone is rare. The earliest archaeological evidence of egg offerings comes from Italian graves from the 5th century BC. In addition to chicken and goose eggs, artificial eggs made of clay and bronze were also given to the deceased. Very special finds are painted eggs, such as the colourful goose eggs from the 4th century that were found in a burial site near Cologne. They could have been intended as a dish for the afterlife or for making cosmetics.
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Depending on the culture, eggs have different meanings. In Christianity they are considered a symbol of rebirth and resurrection; eggs in the graves of young women are interpreted as a symbol of fertility.
Photo courtesy Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation
Together with other graves in the immediate vicinity of the child’s grave, researchers have discovered more about early medieval burial culture in recent years. By analyzing the Langenpreisingen grave goods, they were able to better understand how practices surrounding the burial of smaller children were changing.
In 2014, archaeologists came across an interesting item from an early medieval grave in southeastern Germany. Ten years later they have been able to identify it as a hard-boiled egg.
The archaeological find was made in Langenpreising, located near Erding in Bavaria. The grave belonged to a boy who was approximately five years old when he died. Other grave goods found at the site, including weapons and belts, indicate that this boy was buried in the 7th century. However, the boy was buried with a 5-centimetre chicken egg which was likely hard-boiled.
“It is still unclear which custom underlies our Bavarian chicken egg,” says Dr. Jochen Haberstroh, archaeologist at the Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation (BLfD). “What is certain is that the egg had a special symbolic meaning for the relatives of the deceased. The location of the egg in the stomach area could indicate that it was added to food. Children in particular were given food in this position in the early Middle Ages.”
Having an egg buried with someone is rare. The earliest archaeological evidence of egg offerings comes from Italian graves from the 5th century BC. In addition to chicken and goose eggs, artificial eggs made of clay and bronze were also given to the deceased. Very special finds are painted eggs, such as the colourful goose eggs from the 4th century that were found in a burial site near Cologne. They could have been intended as a dish for the afterlife or for making cosmetics.
Depending on the culture, eggs have different meanings. In Christianity they are considered a symbol of rebirth and resurrection; eggs in the graves of young women are interpreted as a symbol of fertility.
Together with other graves in the immediate vicinity of the child’s grave, researchers have discovered more about early medieval burial culture in recent years. By analyzing the Langenpreisingen grave goods, they were able to better understand how practices surrounding the burial of smaller children were changing.
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