Final answer:
A funeral is an anthropological term referred to as a ritual. Funerals are culturally significant ceremonies with elaborate rituals and often include the inclusion of grave goods, reflecting a society's beliefs and values surrounding death and the afterlife.
Step-by-step explanation:
A funeral is an example of an anthropological term known as a ritual. Anthropologically, rituals are considered to be symbolic activities that include motions, words, and objects, carried out in a sequestered place and designed to influence preternatural entities or forces on behalf of the actors' goals and interests. Funerals often contain universal elements such as announcing the death, caring for the deceased, and rituals surrounding disposition, which all vary significantly among different cultures and religious affiliations. These practices are a rich source of material for sociocultural analyses. Cultures around the world, as shown in the example of the Etruscan civilization, engage in elaborate funerary rituals that highlight the society's beliefs and values regarding death and the afterlife. The inclusion of grave goods is a common practice across different cultures, reflecting varying beliefs about the needs of the deceased in the afterlife and the social status of the individual.