Unlocking the world of the dead has been an unsolved mystery, and there is no evidence of what we become, do, or where we go afterlife. However, traditional societies have their own ways of discerning and interpreting the world of the dead and their afterlife through the lens of their material culture, oral histories, belief, and myths. In the case of the Poumai Naga tribe of Manipur, the contemplation of the dead led to the creation of certain beliefs, myths and social practices in the villages. Building on the collective experience, material culture, and oral stories from the living world, the paper aims to (1) investigate and interpret the rationale behind the contemplation of the dead that gave rise to their belief, myths, and practices. It examines the establishment of certain strong-held beliefs and myths associated with the dead. (2)The paper employs material culture and oral history as a tool of investigation to interpret the hidden meaning behind material objects being buried together with the dead among the Poumai tribe. This paper will contribute to the anthropological knowledge of the dead among the tribal communities through the lens of their material culture. It emphasises the significance of material culture as a tool of research and analysis in anthropology. The paper will broker the knowledge gap on how certain beliefs, values, and practices are created by human society associated with the dead among the tribal people.
