A
cist ( or ; also
kist ; from or Germanic
Kiste) is a small stone-built coffin-like box or
ossuary used to hold the
bodies of the dead. Examples can be found across Europe and in the Middle East. A cist may have been associated with other monuments, perhaps under a
cairn or long
barrow. Several cists are sometimes found close together within the same cairn or barrow. Often ornaments have been found within an excavated cist, indicating the wealth or prominence of the interred individual.