‘Aerial Cemetery’ – Ancient Tradition Of ‘Hanging Coffins’
A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com - While many cultures bury their dead out of sight beneath a commemorative headstone or a plaque, some societies in China, Indonesia and the Philippines have been hanging their ancestors on cliff faces and in caves for many centuries.
In China, the suspended coffins can be found hanging 33 to 164 feet high and some even as high as 328 feet above the ground. The oldest are said to be in the eastern province of Fujian, dating back 3,000 years. Also local people say the tradition has been practiced very long time, however, many of the coffins are not very well preserved.
Hanging coffins are found in central China, mostly in isolated and often almost inaccessible valleys to the south of the great Yangtze River, flowing from the Himalayan foothills to China's eastern coast.
The coffins rest in a variety of formations, both in caves and on cliffs and it happens they are often difficult to recognize them from the ground below.
Unknown Burial Tradition
This ancient and unusual Chinese burial custom is not well known. It is not entirely explained how and why people chose to bury their dead up high from the ground.
Some say that the tradition was continued to keep land free for farming, however, ancient literary works say this custom honored the deceased.
Coffins of various shapes were mostly carved from one whole piece of wood. Hanging coffins either are located on beams projecting outward from vertical faces such as mountains, or placed in caves in the face of cliffs, and also sit on natural rock projections on mountain faces.
It was said that the hanging coffins could prevent bodies from being reached by animals, and their location made them less vulnerable to destruction.
Spiritually, the Bo people viewed the mountain cliffs as a stairway to heaven and believed that by placing the coffins up high the deceased would be closer to heaven.
Building Techniques And Transportation Into Caves And Cliffs
However, it is unknown how the wooden coffins were placed into the caves, some more than 1,000 feet (305 kilometers) above the river.
The coffins are usually built in three ways. One is the stake style. Two or three holes are chiseled on the bluff in which stakes are inserted to support it.
See also:
What Was Extreme Ritual Of Sokushinbutsu?
Seppuku: Ancient Suicide Ritual That Guaranteed Honorable Death Instead For Life In Shame
Another way is to chisel caves on the bluff and put the coffins in directly. Yet another is to put the coffins directly in the natural caves or cracks between the two cliffs.
Widespread Ancient Tradition
The custom is known among Bo people (a minority tribe that once inhabited the area between today's southern Sichuan and northwestern Yunnan provinces) and Igorot people (generally referred to as Sagada) people in the Northern Luzon Province of the Philippines. The Sagada tribe holds the practice of hanging coffins continues to this day and this burial tradition has been practiced for more than 2000 years.
Many coffins have been also found in dense, man-made caves in central China’s Hubei province. Dubbed "Cave of the Fairies" and spread over 50 meters, they belonged to the Bo people, an ethnic group during the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD).
The coffins – secured only with vines – are located in a deep gorge, hanging for a longer time, but eventually, the vines drop the coffins to the ground, making room for the next generation. It’s worth mentioning that the coffins are much smaller than traditional coffins, because the Igorot people lay their relatives to rest in the fetal position.
According to their beliefs, everyone should leave this world the same way they came into it.
The suspended coffins are one of the funeral customs of the Pu People who lived in the vicinity of the Daning River 2,000 years ago. The higher the coffin is hung, the greater respect is expressed for the dead (one’s father, elders, and ancestors).
However, it is unknown how the wooden coffins were placed into the caves, some more than 1,000 feet (305 kilometers) above the river.
Written by – A. Sutherland AncientPages.com Senior Staff Writer
Copyright © AncientPages.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or part without the express written permission of AncientPages.com
Expand for referencesReferences:
More From Ancient Pages
-
Mysterious Bronze Age ‘Golden Tomb’ Unearthed In Armenia
Archaeology | Mar 3, 2023
-
Evidence Of 10,000 Years Of Violent Conflict Among The Hunter-Gatherer Societies In The Atacama Desert
Archaeology | Oct 2, 2023
-
Rare Gilded Mask Discovered On Mummy Of Ancient Egyptian Priest Serving Sky Goddess Mut
Archaeology | Jul 17, 2018
-
Ancient Chaco Canyon Was Much More Than A Ceremonial Site New Study Reveals
Archaeology | Oct 28, 2021
-
The Cyclades And Their Advanced And Mysterious Society Lost In Time
Featured Stories | Apr 25, 2022
-
Geological Mystery Of The Lost Continent Argoland Solved
Earth Changes | Oct 26, 2023
-
Controversial Tunnel Plan Near Stonehenge Gets U.K. Government Approval – Shocked And Angry Opponents Will Challenge The Decision In High Court
News | Nov 13, 2020
-
Secrets Of Ninja Swords – Favorite Weapon Of The Shinobi
Featured Stories | Aug 13, 2018
-
35 Secret Underground Passageways Discovered Beneath Chavín De Huántar Temple Complex In Peru
Archaeology | Jun 1, 2022
-
290-Million-Year-Old Bird-Like Footprints Left By Unknown Animals Found In Africa
Fossils | Nov 30, 2023
-
Aztec Treasure: ‘Yew Of Gold’ Found 39 Years Ago Originates From Spanish Plunder During ‘Sad Night’ In 1520
Archaeology | Jan 12, 2020
-
Centuries-Old Authorship Mystery – Solved By Stanford Musicologist Jesse Rodin
Archaeology | Jul 18, 2022
-
Pharos Of Alexandria – One Of The First Lighthouses In The Ancient World
Featured Stories | Sep 1, 2015
-
Piecing Together Scotland’s Religious Past With Shards Of Glass
Archaeology | Feb 28, 2023
-
Gigantic Ancient Palace Unearthed In Mexico’s Valley Of Oaxaca
Archaeology | Mar 29, 2017
-
Face Of Iron Age Female Druid Reconstructed
Archaeology | Aug 20, 2019
-
Napta Playa – Egypt’s Stonehenge And Its Ancient Astronomical Alignments
Featured Stories | Feb 18, 2018
-
Enigmatic Ancient City Where People Experience Telepathy And Higher Level Of Consciousness
Featured Stories | Oct 10, 2018
-
Golosov Ravine – Mysterious Time-Warping Mist Causing Unexplained Disappearances And The Ancient Shrine Of God Veles
Featured Stories | Jul 3, 2021
-
Face-To-Face Encounter With Young Scottish Soldier Who Lived And Died Over 300 Years Ago
Archaeology | Dec 23, 2017