Funerary Practice and Local Interaction on the Imperial Frontier, First Century CE

Abstract

The rugged, mountainous landscapes dividing the Parthian and Roman Empires routinely served as an arena for military campaigns and violent conflict between empires competing for territorial expansion. Local alliances were cyclically forged, broken, and mended, yet these interactions are rarely represented in the archaeological record. How were military campaigns conducted in the Caucasus frontier? How did foreign soldiers interact with local communities? This chapter examines the case study of an unusual first century CE burial that integrates aspects of both Roman and Parthian funerary practice and is associated with large-scale feasting events at the site of Oğlanqala in Naxçıvan, Azerbaijan. By integrating osteological and isotopic analyses with a regional approach to funerary practice, this chapter sheds light on underrepresented local experiences and intersectional identities in response to Roman campaigns.