The role of birds as grave gifts in richly furnished Roman Iron Age inhumation gravesc. 1–375 AD, eastern Denmark

Anne Birgitte Gotfredsen

doi:10.5252/az2013n2a12

Abstract

ABSTRACT In this paper, zooarchaeological evidence from Roman Iron Age (c. 1–375 AD) inhumation graves with focus on the avian remains is presented. The material comprises both old and recently excavated material mainly from wealthy burial sites in eastern Denmark. Birds occur rarely as grave gifts in Danish inhumation graves. In total six graves provided bird remains with three holding parts of or entire goose (Anser anser) skeletons and three yielding domestic chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus). Both bird species were offered as food for the deceased as evidenced by cut marks and by the arrangements of the birds in pottery vessels or their location associated with other food offers like meaty portions of pig (Sus scrofa domesticus) and sheep (Ovis aries). Morphometric and contextual analyses indicated that the geese were domesticated geese. All graves with goose were princely graves, containing Roman imports and other animals offered, such as entire, but butchered lambs or pigs but also dogs (Canis fami...

Highlights

The reasons for placing animal bones in human graves may be manifold and the animal remnants may represent a variety of different objects such as tools, ornaments, amulets and wraps
The term ‘grave gift’ is used both for animals given to the deceased as a food offering and for sacrificial animals placed in graves, e.g., a dog killed or sacrificed in order to accompany its master in the afterlife
This paper presents new and old finds of avian remains from inhumation graves from eastern Denmark, in order to review and discuss the role of birds as grave gifts symbolising food, status and identity during the Roman Iron Age

Summary

Introduction

The reasons for placing animal bones in human graves may be manifold and the animal remnants may represent a variety of different objects such as tools, ornaments, amulets and wraps. The animal bones may represent meals intended as provisions for the deceased person in the afterworld (e.g., Grant 2002; Lauwerier 2002: 65). They may be remnants of ritual meals at the funerary feast held at the burial place (Philpott 1991: 205; Parker Pearson 1999: 10; Serjeantson 2009: 243). Animal bones in human graves may represent offerings to the gods to ensure a safe arrival in the afterlife (Philpott 1991: 206; Lauwerier 2002). The term ‘grave gift’ is used both for animals given to the deceased as a food offering and for sacrificial animals placed in graves, e.g., a dog killed or sacrificed in order to accompany its master in the afterlife

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