The Journey Beyond
Funeral rites in Varna and the region in ancient times
The exhibition displays finds from grave complexes in the city of Varna, Bulgaria and its surroundings. The central theme of the exhibition is to demonstrate the varied representations of the afterlife as reflected in funeral rites that have been practiced over the centuries. The region has been inhabited by various peoples, each of whom had a distinct understanding of life after death. The exhibition aims to illustrate the diversity of funeral practices in the area, which in some cases differ radically. At the same time, the exhibition presents the history of habitation in the region through the display of objects of material culture.
The information provided encompasses a wide range of subjects, including the religious beliefs and ideas about the afterlife embraced by the ancient population, the social order and organisation of the community, the level of society’s attitude towards its members, the social status of the individuals interred, and a number of other social aspects.
The funeral practices in the region of Varna reveal an extraordinary trend: the further back in time we go, the more valuable and richer the recorded grave goods are. The necropolises examined date back to Prehistory, Antiquity, and the Middle Ages. These monuments have been the focus of extensive research through rescue or regular archaeological excavations, predominantly in the latter half of the 20th century. A number of these are located within the city of Varna itself, with others situated in the surrounding area. Some of them are still being excavated today.
Visitors to the exhibition are invited to explore the evolution of beliefs about the afterlife, starting with the mysterious beliefs of the Chalcolithic period and culminating with the Christian customs in the Middle Ages. This configuration of the exhibition further highlights the contrast between the different funeral practices and perceptions of the afterlife, which are clearly not determined by the general technological progress of humanity, but are the product of individual, sometimes unique, views and beliefs.
This exhibition brings together not only objects of significant scientific or artistic value, but also those illustrating the diversity and peculiarities of burial practices in Varna and the region in ancient times. The visitors will have the opportunity to delve into them, thus embarking on their “journey beyond” – a walk of the living people into the world of the deceased and an exploration of their beliefs and understandings of the afterlife.
For the first time in Romania, objects from the Varna Museum of History are being presented, including items from the famous Varna I necropolis, whose inventory has been exhibited in numerous prestigious museums around the world. Almost all of the selected pieces belong to the permanent exhibition of the Varna Museum—some have never left it before, while others have traveled only on rare occasions, such as the assemblage from the Varna II necropolis, which contains the world’s oldest crafted gold.