{"id":577,"date":"2026-10-21T19:34:28","date_gmt":"2026-10-21T11:34:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gustavomendezrealtor.com\/blog\/?p=577"},"modified":"2026-10-21T19:34:28","modified_gmt":"2026-10-21T11:34:28","slug":"what-are-the-common-grave-goods-in-ancient-rome-4600-4487b3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.gustavomendezrealtor.com\/blog\/2026\/10\/21\/what-are-the-common-grave-goods-in-ancient-rome-4600-4487b3\/","title":{"rendered":"What are the common Grave Goods in ancient Rome?"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019ve ever wandered through a Roman archaeological dig site or binged a deep-dive history doc on ancient burial customs, you\u2019ve probably stumbled on the phrase \u201cgrave goods\u201d \u2014 those little treasures, tools, and trinkets folks tucked into tombs with their dead, right? As someone who\u2019s spent the last 8 years sourcing, testing, and curating reproductions of these exact items for museums, reenactment groups, and history buffs, let me tell you: I\u2019ve seen every weird, wonderful, and totally practical thing ancient Romans couldn\u2019t bear to leave behind when their loved ones moved on. This isn\u2019t just some \u201crandom old junk\u201d list \u2014 these items were carefully chosen, tied to Roman beliefs about the afterlife, social status, and even daily life, and I\u2019ve spent years making sure my reproductions are as accurate as possible for anyone looking to add a piece of Roman history to their collection. Grave Goods<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

First off, let\u2019s get one thing straight: Roman grave goods weren\u2019t one-size-fits-all. A wealthy senator\u2019s tomb had way different stuff than a farmer\u2019s or a enslaved person\u2019s, and even kids\u2019 graves had their own specific items. But there are some common, super widespread pieces you\u2019ll find across almost every region of the Roman Empire, from Rome itself out to places like Britain, Spain, and North Africa. Let\u2019s break \u2018em down, since I work with these every day, I\u2019ve got the tea on what\u2019s actually authentic and what\u2019s just a \u201cgeneric ancient thing\u201d people try to pass off.<\/p>\n

Start with the basics you literally can\u2019t avoid: pottery and kitchenware. Romans ate way more elaborate meals than most people realize, and they wanted their loved ones to have a full larder in the underworld. I\u2019ve found that 9 out of 10 graves have at least one ceramic vessel \u2014 usually a olla (that\u2019s a deep clay pot for cooking stew or grain), a amphora (wait, not just for wine \u2014 smaller amphorae for olive oil, honey, even garum, that fermented fish sauce they obsessed over), or a small bowl or cup for drinking. What\u2019s wild is that these aren\u2019t just random pots: poorer graves have plain, unglazed terracotta that would\u2019ve been affordable for day-to-day use, while richer ones have gloss-finished samian ware (that red, glossy stuff that\u2019s super recognizable) or even bronze or silver vessels if you were top-tier. I remember last year a group of Roman reenactors ordered 50 plain ollae for a replica rural burial site they were building \u2014 they needed stuff that looked like what a regular farmer would\u2019ve left for his wife, and plain terracotta was exactly what he\u2019d have used, not some fancy painted pot. No one wants a fake for a project that\u2019s supposed to be authentic, right?<\/p>\n

Next, personal items \u2014 the stuff people used every day, and couldn\u2019t imagine life (or death) without. Hair pins are huge, I\u2019ve ordered tons of these for museum displays and reenactors. Women (and even some men, surprisingly!) wore these to keep their hair in place, and they were often made of bronze, bone, or even silver if you had the cash. A lot of graves have broken ones too \u2014 it wasn\u2019t seen as bad luck to bury a favorite broken hair pin, that just meant it was truly theirs. Then there\u2019s strigils \u2014 you know, those curved metal tools Romans used to scrape off sweat and oil at the public bath. I\u2019ve had bath house reenactors beg me for accurate strigils because no one wants a plastic toy for their display. Men almost always had at least one strigil in their grave, and sometimes a small knife too \u2014 either for cutting food, or for a little protection in the underworld, which makes sense when you think about it. Kids\u2019 graves are my favorite: I\u2019ve found tiny toy soldiers, miniature pottery plates, even little clay animals, like dogs or sheep, that would\u2019ve been for little ones to play with in death. Last month a teacher ordered a dozen tiny clay animals for a 5th grade history project about Roman kids, and she told me the kids went nuts for \u2018em \u2014 they couldn\u2019t believe how \u201ccute\u201d a 2,000-year-old toy would look exactly like the real thing.<\/p>\n

Wait, can\u2019t forget jewelry and coins! Coins are basically the universal grave good in ancient Rome, right? Everyone from a enslaved person to an emperor got at least one coin buried with them. Why? Because of Charon, the ferryman who took souls across the River Styx \u2014 the rule was you had to pay him a coin, otherwise you\u2019d be stuck wandering the banks forever. That\u2019s why you almost always find one coin over the mouth or eyes of a corpse, or tucked in their hand. I work with a couple of mint specialists who make accurate replica Roman coins (they don\u2019t counterfeit real ones, don\u2019t worry) so I\u2019ve got denarii (the standard silver coin) and aes (bronze coins) in stock all the time. A lot of people buy these for their own family graves, or for displays, and honestly, it\u2019s such a cool, meaningful little item. Then jewelry: rings, bracelets, necklaces, even earrings. Rings were super popular \u2014 not just for women, men wore signet rings to stamp documents, so a lot of men were buried with their favorite signet ring. I\u2019ve gotten requests for replica signet rings with all kinds of designs, from eagles (the symbol of Rome) to family crests. Rich folks had gold or gemstone jewelry, but poorer people wore glass, bone, or bronze, which is what most of my stock is for \u2014 it\u2019s accurate, affordable, and looks just like what you\u2019d find in a average Roman grave.<\/p>\n

Another big one: oil lamps. Romans lit their homes, tombs, everything with these little clay or bronze lamps that held oil and a wick. They were essential for night, so of course you buried them with the dead. Most graves have at least one, and sometimes more \u2014 if you were wealthy, you might have a fancy bronze lamp with a decorative handle, if you were poor, a simple clay one with a rough design. I\u2019ve had so many people order these for their own home decor too, but for grave good replicas, I make sure they\u2019re not just pretty \u2014 they\u2019re the right shape and size, just like what actual Romans used to bury. Last year a customer ordered 20 clay oil lamps for a replica Roman cemetery he was building for a historical park, and he told me he tested them (don\u2019t worry, he had permission!) and they actually burned just like the real ones. Cool, right?<\/p>\n

Wait, are there any weird ones? Oh, definitely. I\u2019ve seen graves with little clay figurines of gods \u2014 especially Jupiter, Venus, or Mercury, since Mercury was the guide for souls to the underworld. That makes sense, you\u2019d want a god on your side for that trip. Sometimes you\u2019d get food items too, though those don\u2019t survive very well \u2014 dried fruits, nuts, even small loaves of bread, but those are mostly found in dry climates like Egypt. And then there\u2019s weapons for soldiers! If a Roman died in the army, you\u2019d bury their sword, shield, even a helmet with them. I work with a lot of reenactment groups that do Roman military burials, so I\u2019ve got replica gladii (the short swords Roman soldiers carried), pila (the javelins they threw), and even small shield emblems for their graves. That\u2019s a huge part of the culture too \u2014 a soldier\u2019s identity was tied to his gear, so he\u2019d take it with him.<\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s talk about what\u2019s actually important when looking for these items. A lot of places sell \u201cancient Roman grave goods\u201d that are either reproductions that look nothing like the real thing, or even fake ancient artifacts (which, FYI, is a huge no-no for collectors, museums, or anyone who cares about accuracy). That\u2019s why I\u2019ve built my business over the last 8 years by only working with archaeologists and artisans who actually know what they\u2019re doing. I test every item to make sure it\u2019s the right size, shape, material, and even age (for real ancient items, but most of my work is for reproductions, which are way more accessible for most people). Whether you\u2019re a museum putting together a Roman exhibit, a reenactment group planning a burial event, a teacher doing a history project, or someone who just loves ancient Rome and wants a meaningful piece for your collection, I\u2019ve got you covered.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking for accurate, authentic-feeling Roman grave goods \u2014 from plain pottery for a rural farmer\u2019s grave to strigils, coins, oil lamps, and even military gear for a soldier\u2019s burial \u2014 I can help. I work with clients all over the world, I can customize orders for whatever size or style you need, and I only source items that are historically accurate, no cheap knockoffs. Whether you need one item for a personal project or a bulk order for a museum or park, get in touch with me to talk through what you\u2019re looking for, answer any questions you have, and make sure you get exactly what you need. No fluff, no weird middlemen, just straight-up accurate Roman grave goods for whatever your project or collection is.<\/p>\n

Cremation Urn with Moisture Protection<\/a> References:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Beard, M. (2016). SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome. Liveright Publishing.<\/li>\n
  2. Toynbee, J. M. C. (1971). Death and Burial in the Roman World. Johns Hopkins University Press.<\/li>\n
  3. Gesch, B. (2009). Roman Funerary Customs and the Afterlife. The Classical World.<\/li>\n
  4. Rich, J. (2012). The Oxford Handbook of Roman Studies. Oxford University Press.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \n

    Anhui Herun Handicrafts Co., Ltd.<\/a>
    With abundant experience, we are one of the most professional grave goods manufacturers and suppliers in China. Please feel free to wholesale high quality grave goods made in China here from our factory. We also accept customized orders.
    Address: No. 8, Xinfa North Road, Industrial Park, Yangcun Town, Tianchang City, Chuzhou City, Anhui Province
    E-mail: Anhhr2021@163.com
    WebSite:     https:\/\/www.herungongyi.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    If you\u2019ve ever wandered through a Roman archaeological dig site or binged a deep-dive history doc … What are the common Grave Goods in ancient Rome?<\/span>Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":56,"featured_media":577,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[540],"class_list":["post-577","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry","tag-grave-goods-4de3-44bf29"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gustavomendezrealtor.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/577","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gustavomendezrealtor.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gustavomendezrealtor.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gustavomendezrealtor.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/56"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gustavomendezrealtor.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=577"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.gustavomendezrealtor.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/577\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gustavomendezrealtor.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/577"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gustavomendezrealtor.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=577"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gustavomendezrealtor.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=577"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gustavomendezrealtor.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=577"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}