What comes to your mind when you hear the word burial? Graveyard, cemetery and death! But did you know that once upon a time, in ancient Celtic civilization, food was buried as well. And yes, these foods were not rotten ones, but ones that were fresh and edible. Then what was the mystery of burying good food? The idea of food burial comes from the natural method of preserving food. The ancient Celts were neither destroying nor wasting food. They were preserving it for the future.
Years ago, when modern mechanisms of food preservation were absent, people used to rely on nature for the same. Food like dry grains and vegetables were sealed in large jars and buried underground. Grains like rice or lentils and root vegetables which survived well in warm temperature were stored using this method. The principle was the foundation of the fact that stable temperature slowed down decay. Moreover, in Ireland or Scotland, animal fat was also preserved in a similar way by burying them in peat bogs and this came to be known as the practice of bog butter.
One can now ask that how can food be preserved naturally in the absence of preservatives and in the presence of heat and warmth under the earth. There are two main reasons why this formula worked back in the day. First, when these products were cut off from the influence of Oxygen, bacterial growth, which is responsible for rotting food products, also lessened. Second, the sun rays which were the main source of heat used to affect only the surface of the earth. The temperature below was relatively cooler. Thus, this stable and cool temperature actually helped in preserving food for a long time.
In fact, mention of these was just not recorded through oral traditions or history books. Archaeologists found evidence of underground food storage systems while excavating old civilizations. Further, it was not just the Celts, but also the Egyptian civilization that buried grains and food, everything that the nobles would need in the afterlife, inside the pyramids. Traces of the same have been found, some very well preserved for over 2000 years. Closer to home, the Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro excavations also revealed large community granaries which stored food. Today, drawing from this method of preservation one may often see grandmothers and mothers storing excess amount of grains, root vegetables and even pickles, in sealed pots in store rooms in the basement.
Thus, food burial was an actual preservation method which has been working well across civilizations, and is still followed today.
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