D(is) M(anibus) S(acrum) – AN OVERVIEW OF FUNERARY BEHAVIOURS ON THE TERRITORY OF PRESENT-DAY SWITZERLAND FROM LATE PROTOHISTORY TO EARLY MEDIEVAL TIMES THROUGH THE STUDY OF MATERIAL REMAINS, TEXTUAL SOURCES AND FUNERARY INSCRIPTIONS

Abstract

The present article focuses on funerary behaviours on the territory of present-day Switzerland from the end of the protohistoric period to the early Middle Ages. In order to investigate this topic, a careful analysis of material remains, textual sources and funerary inscriptions, was carried out. The main objective of this article lies in the multidisciplinary study of funerary behaviours. To this end, funerary gestures, rites, commemorative modalities, funerary recruitment, as well legal and religious frameworks and the collective social comprehension of death are considered. To achieve these goals, the present article aims to include any contribution to the clarification of this topic provided by various disciplines such as funerary archaeology, bioanthropology, ancient history, geography, social anthropology, religious sciences, law, literature and philology as well as ancient funerary epigraphy. The consideration of these various sources for the case of 6 distinct places in Switzerland (Geneva – Genava , Nyon – Colonia Iulia Equestris , Augst / Kaiseraugst – Augusta Raurica , Valais – Vallis Poenina , Brugg / Gebenstorf / Windisch – Vindonissa and Avenches – Aventicum ) has enabled us to outline the contours of the funerary phenomenon in Switzerland during Antiquity in a relatively precise manner. As such, one observes several different dynamics in the evolution of funerary behaviours depending on the places studied. This probably reflects the way in which the various communities interacted, made sense of, appropriated, or disregarded Roman funerary cultural codes.