Each of the three burial sites I explored was different when it came to funeral practices, but they all had one thing in common. All three bodies were decorated with distinctive bird-shaped masks. Why was that so? And why birds of all things?
It might have been a way to scare off potential graverobbers. That was my first thought, as I must confess that when I saw the first masked body, my heart almost gave up on me.
But there's another explanation. I recall a myth about gods turning their loyal dead champions into nightingales – so maybe that was the reasoning behind the masks. Maybe the community wished for their champions's souls to become free and tried to make it easier for them.
Two potential reasons – one spiritual, one purely pragmatic. Which one is correct? Will I ever know?
