Coins in graves as reflection of social and spiritual culture.

Abstract

Today we register 380-390 pieces of grave coins from 66 localities (mostly rustic linear necropoles) of the 11th and 12th century in region of Moravia. The beginning of the systematic use of coin as a grave artifact falls to the 1st quarter of the 11th century, its maximal development to interval 1060-1085 and the conclusion to the 1st half of the 12th century. Predominantly we find only one coin in one grave. The most often we find the coin in palms of the dead (26%) or in such position, to which they could get out from the hands (15-20%). No relation between coin position and sex, age, position or orientation of the dead has been proved. The coins belong to prominent means for dating graves and grave inventory. The most frequently the coin in grave was used as a dead obole, it means it was given to grave intentionally and on the ritual ground. It is very probable, that the coin compensated the former material grave gifts because of its small size as a reaction on intensified church supervision, which controlled the observance of Christian principles in burial rite. In such way it indicates the persistence of heathen thinking of common people in 11th and 12th century in environment, that already was officially Christian.