Ship Burials - What Does This Mean?

The burial chamber was built on top sorof over the centre of the hall, like a little house. Then the earth was carried up and mounded over it to totally submerge the chambers. It seems that the chamber remained for several years before it finally caved in with theth of seeping weight of water and earth. And when that happened, all the objects, whatever their previous arrangement might have been, were flattened down onto the surface of the hull where they then remained for more than a thousand years after. This indicates that this person almost surely was royal, was a ruler or a member of a ruling house. He had with him various goods for fighting, for feasting, both