Whatever the specific belief system that animated this practice, the ochre was not incidental.

It was a deliberate act that required procuring the mineral pigment, preparing it, and applying it with intention.

It was a statement — in the material language of ceremony — about the importance of what was being buried and the seriousness of the act.

The same mineral — iron oxide, red ochre, hematite — is still used in ceremonial contexts by Indigenous communities across the Americas today.

The specific meanings and practices associated with it vary enormously between communities and have changed over the millennia.