Roman Burials Research Articles

Захоронение римского времени в египетском Файюме подростка с собаками

The article studies a Roman burial of a child with a large number of dogs, found in Deir El-Banat necropolis (Fayum, Egypt). The burial is unique not only for the Fayum oasis, but for the whole Egypt. More than 140 mummified dogs were found in the child’s burial. The dogs were of different breeds and ages, mostly puppies. It is suggested that adult dogs and puppies, in particular, were specially raised and prepared to be buried with the child. Some dogs were made up of anatomically misplaced parts. The child was 8—9 years old at the time of death. For burial, he was dressed in a tunic, with his hands fixed and his head in a bag. The child, most likely, was ill with anemia and died from this disease.

Archaeology and History: A Late Antiquity for Britain

Archaeology and History: A Late Antiquity for Britain

Dual-Source Dual-Energy CT-Scan Confirms the Diagnosis of Ancient Hydatid Cysts Recovered from a Late Roman Burial in Amiens, France.

Background:Two calcified objects recovered from an adolescent in a burial site in Amiens, France, have been previously identified as hydatid cysts using thin-section petrography. The importance of ancient hydatidosis besides the value of these unique archeological excavated materials encouraged the authors to look at this attractive subject more interdisciplinary by implementing medical radiology.Methods:In the current experiment, which has been carried out in the Radiology Department, Tehran Heart Center (THC), Tehran, Iran, the conventional and dual-energy dual-source Tomography, X-Ray Computed-scan was used in studying the remaining structures of the two calcified masses. The imaging procedure was carried out based on X-Ray attenuation by two different tube voltages.Results:A high concentration of calcium sediment in the cyst walls was revealed in Hounsfield units, the measuring of the elements in CT. Taking advantage of implementing this imaging technique the oxalate calcium was also shown as the dominant component of the samples. The results were all in favor of diagnosing hydatid cysts.Conclusion:The achieved pictorial results in the present paper have highlighted the important role of CT scan as a noninvasive confirming technique in paleopathological investigations. Using Dual-source dual-energy CT-scan in reconfirming these previously identified hydatid cysts, is an encouraging message towards the necessity of sequential studies on invaluable biological excavated pieces.

Incubated eggs in a Roman burial? A preliminary investigation on how to distinguish between the effects of incubation and taphonomy on avian eggshell from archaeological sites

Microscopic analyses can be used to determine whether fragments of eggshell come from hatched, incubated or non-incubated eggs. This information is essential for their interpretation since the developmental state of eggs often permits archaeologists to draw conclusions about the function of these finds at a site. However, what has often been neglected in previous studies is the fact that not only incubation but also taphonomy may affect the microstructure of shells. This preliminary study aims to demonstrate that taphonomic processes can in fact imitate site specific dissolution features that are commonly interpreted as traces of incubation. One likely cause of this could be bacteria or other microorganisms. The paper further introduces an approach by which a distinction between taphonomic and embryonic dissolution may be possible. The successful application of this technique on seemingly incubated eggs from a late Roman burial of Ober-Olm (Germany) indicates that these shells were altered only by taphonomy and not by embryonic development as initially assumed. It is finally emphasized that the preliminary data of this investigation need to be validated in future research.

Barbarisierte Römer – Romanisierte Barbaren? Interpretationsmöglichkeiten der fremden Komponente am Beispiel des Gräberfeldes von Somogyszil

The Somogyszil cemetery became known in 1964, when a local resident reported the finds. The site was excavated by Balázs Draveczky, who uncovered 148 late Roman burials until 1968. The cemetery was fully published by Alice Sz. Burger in 1979. We began the critical re-assessment of the cemetery and its finds in 2015 as part of a research project “Power and culture in the Carpathian Basin in the early Middle Ages” involving in part a fresh look at the late Roman cemeteries in southern Pannonia. Our research agenda focuses on the spatial organisation of the burial grounds used by the province’s rural population as well as on burial customs (funerary rites, grave and burial types), chronology and the mapping of local and non-local tendencies. During the critical re-assessment of the cemetery, we found that the establishment and use of this late Roman burial ground could be linked to a heterogeneous community.

Roman and Medieval Development South of Cheapside. Excavations at Bow Bells House, City of London, 2005–6. By I. Howell with L. Blackmore, C. Philpotts and A. Thorp. MOLA Archaeology Study Series 26. Museum of London Archaeology, London, 2013. Pp. xiii + 114, illus. Price: £15.00. isbn978 1 907586 17 0. - Roman Roadside Settlement and Rural Landscape at Brentford. Archaeological

Roman and Medieval Development South of Cheapside. Excavations at Bow Bells House, City of London, 2005–6. By I. Howell with L. Blackmore, C. Philpotts and A. Thorp. MOLA Archaeology Study Series 26. Museum of London Archaeology, London, 2013. Pp. xiii + 114, illus. Price: £15.00. isbn978 1 907586 17 0. - Roman Roadside Settlement and Rural Landscape at Brentford. Archaeological Investigations at Hilton London Syon Park Hotel, 2004–10. By R. Cowie, A. Thorp and A. Wardle. MOLA Archaeology Studies Series 29. Museum of London Archaeology, London, 2013. Pp. xiv + 114, illus. Price: £15.00. isbn978 1 907586 19 4. - Romano-British Round Houses to Medieval Parish. Excavations at 10 Gresham Street, City of London, 1999–2002. By L. Casson, J Drummond-Murray and A. Francis. MOLA Monograph 67. Museum of London Archaeology, London, 2014. Pp. xviii + 220, illus., CD-ROM. Price: £25.00. isbn978 1 907586 22 4. - Roman Burials in Southwark: Excavations at 52–56 Lant Street and 56 Southwark Bridge Road, London SE1. By V. Ridgeway, K. Leary and B. Sudds. PCA Monograph 17. Pre-Construct Archaeology Ltd, London, 2013. Pp. xiv + 143, illus. Price: £15.00. isbn978 0 9926672 0 7. - Volume 46

The Late Roman Field Army in Northern Britain? Mobility, Material Culture and Multi-Isotope Analysis at Scorton (N Yorks.)

ABSTRACTAt Hollow Banks Quarry, Scorton, located just north of Catterick (N Yorks.), a highly unusual group of 15 late Roman burials was excavated between 1998 and 2000. The small cemetery consists of almost exclusively male burials, dated to the fourth century. An unusually large proportion of these individuals was buried with crossbow brooches and belt fittings, suggesting that they may have been serving in the late Roman army or administration and may have come to Scorton from the Continent. Multi-isotope analyses (carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and strontium) of nine sufficiently well-preserved individuals indicate that seven males, all equipped with crossbow brooches and/or belt fittings, were not local to the Catterick area and that at least six of them probably came from the European mainland. Dietary (carbon and nitrogen isotope) analysis only of a tenth individual also suggests a non-local origin. At Scorton it appears that the presence of crossbow brooches and belts in the grave was more important for suggesting non-British origins than whether or not they were worn. This paper argues that cultural and social factors played a crucial part in the creation of funerary identities and highlights the need for both multi-proxy analyses and the careful contextual study of artefacts.

Life in the cemetery: Boniface I and the catacomb of Maximus

Liber pontificalis records that, during the disputed Roman episcopal election, which started at the end of 418 and lasted several months, between Eulalius and Boniface, the latter took up residence in the cemetery of Felicity when the two candidates were expelled from the city. It also records Boniface, after his ultimate victory as legitimate bishop, refurbishing this cemetery and eventually being buried there. Although Liber pontificalis is wrong on a number of points with regard to the disputed election, as revealed through letters preserved in the Collectio Avellana, there is no reason to doubt Boniface’s attraction to this martyrial complex on the via Salaria nova. This paper considers the catacomb and Boniface’s connection with it in the context of what we know about Roman episcopal burials of the early fifth century.

Novi infundibulum na nekropoli antičkog Jadera

Na nedavnim zaštitnim arheološkim istraživanjima u Ulici fra Ivana Zadranina u Zadru potvrđena je zona nastavka antičke nekropole. Tom je prigodom ustanovljeno 35 antičkih ukopa. Velika većina otkrivenih grobova su paljevinski grobovi s veoma bogatim nalazima i prilozima. Jedan od njih je i incinerirani ukop – grob 34, u kojem je pronađen i stakleni lijevak – infundibulum. Na zadarskom području s novim je nalazom lijevka do sada otkriveno čak sedam u cijelosti očuvanih staklenih infundibula. Uz dva lijevka bez konteksta nalaza, svi su ostali otkriveni u grobnom kontekstu incineriranih ukopa pri arheološkim istraživanjima antičke nekropole Jadera. Stakleni lijevci posve su specifičan i rijedak oblik slobodno puhanog staklenog posuđa koje služi za pretakanje a ne za pohranu različitih tekućina. Možda su upravo nalazi brojnih staklenih lijevaka na ovom prostoru, a za koje se pretpostavlja da su istočnomediteranske produkcije, rezultat aktivnosti prerade aromatičnog i ljekovitog bilja. Toj pretpostavci ide u prilog i brojnost nalaza ostalih staklenih oblika, ali i postojanje lokalne staklarske radionice (ili više njih). Stoga potrebaza staklenim proizvodima općenito, pa tako i za lijevcima, s obzirom da je staklo veoma neutralno na sadržaje koji se u njemu pohranjuju, ima svoje uporište u aktivnostima proizvodnje različitih farmaceutskih pripravaka. Ako je suditi po staklenim lijevcima, takva se aktivnost odvijala u drugoj polovini 1. st. po. Kr.

First chemical evidence of royal purple as a material used for funeral treatment discovered in a Gallo–Roman burial (Naintré, France, third century AD)

Violet-purple residues collected from a Gallo-Roman burial dated back to the second half of the third century A.D. and excavated at Naintré (France) were chemically investigated by multi-analytical methodology involving the use of Raman spectroscopy, direct exposure-mass spectrometry (DE-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC-UV-visible). Little is known about funeral treatment and rituals during Roman times. Retrieving valuable information on these by chemical analysis of organic residues was thus a key aspect of this work. Analyses demonstrated the presence of the very precious purple colorant obtained from shellfish glands commonly known as Tyrian or royal purple and its exceptional preservation. Chemical investigation and archaeological evidence have shown that purple was widely spread after the deposition of the body for burial. These results are the earliest chemical evidence of purple colorant used during funeral rituals (not as textile dye) and enabled us to highlight new aspects of funeral practices in Roman times.

Charon’s Obols? A case study in the role of coins in Roman Burial Ritual

Charon’s Obols? A case study in the role of coins in Roman Burial Ritual

A Roman burial from Cramond (Edinburgh) rediscovered

A 19th-century discovery of a Roman urned cremation is reconsidered. The remains were those of an adult male younger than middle age with evidence of arthritis and a partly healed fracture. The pot used as a receptacle was a locally produced Greyware jar, most probably of Antonine date. Corrosion marks on the pot suggest the former presence of iron objects with the burial. Possible locations for such a burial are discussed within the context of Roman Cramond, and its wider place in the scanty evidence for Roman burials in Scotland is outlined.

A Romano-British Cemetery on Watling Street: Excavations at 165 Great Dover Street, Southwark, London

Excavations in 1996-7 at Great Dover Street, Southwark, uncovered evidence of a Roman roadside cemetery on Watling Street, south-east of the settlement. The cemetery was established in the mid 2nd century, replacing a roadside building and contemporary field system, and has yielded the largest number of Roman burials (twenty-five inhumations and five cremations) yet discovered on one site in Southwark. With two walled cemeteries, a mausoleum, and a possible temple-mausoleum, the site is an important addition to the study of Roman London. Moulded cornices and the head of a god or river deity were also found. A bustum within the cemetery area contained the cremated remains of a female with at least nine pottery tazze, eight pottery lamps, and an exceptional array of plant remains, many imported from the Mediterranean, including stone pine, white almond and date fruit. Images on the lamps included the Egyptian god Anubis, and a fallen gladiator. The funerary structures fell into disrepair by the late 3rd century, although there was some evidence that the area may have continued as an unenclosed cemetery.

Aspects of Roman Burial Practices in Beirut

Aspects of Roman Burial Practices in Beirut

Humerus varus deformity in Roman period burials from Kellis 2, Dakhleh, Egypt

Humerus varus deformity in Roman period burials from Kellis 2, Dakhleh, Egypt

The Use of Sulphur in Hollow Ancient Gold Objects

Archaeologists interpreted residues inside hollow gold rings found in Roman burials of girls in the Rhineland as a “cement for chasing”. The aim of this study was to analyse this material and to compare it with Mediaeval and modern specimens made from pitch with inorganic filler and organic additives. The cement inside the Roman rings was identified as crystalline sulphur, which has occasionally been reported in the analytical literature as a filler in hollow gold objects from Hellenistic to Merovingian times. As was shown by practical experiments, the consistency of solidified sulphur can easily be adjusted to allow embossing and chasing of filled objects. Therefore, sulphur might act not only as a filler in such items, as was sometimes suggested, but also play a decisive role in the manufacturing of them.

Fine Metalwork from the Roman Cemetery at Stansted Airport, Essex Tinning and High Tin Alloys

AbstractThe early Roman cemetery discovered during the construction of London's third airport at Stansted contains the richest Roman burials discovered in Britain this century. The grave goods included a quantity of fine metalwork which forms te subject of this paper. The construction, alloys and finish of the pieces are described and discussed. Tin-plating and niello inlays are identified and described as is the analysis of corroded lead-tin solders and pewter. The manufacture of a high-tin bronze mirror is also discussed.

Enterramientos de la antigüedad tardía en Valentia

Con el presente trabajo damos a conocer una serie de enterramientos tardo-antiguos de Valentia y sus alrededores, hasta ahora inéditos. Por una parte, trataremos del descubrimiento, a principios de la década de los sesenta, de un mausoleo del siglo IV d. C. Por otra, expondremos los resultados de las recientes excavaciones llevadas a cabo por el Servicio de Investigación Arqueológica Municipal (SIAM) del Ayuntamiento de Valencia, en el convento de Sant Vicent de la Roqueta y en la calle del Mar.

AN EARLY ROMAN BURIAL TRADITION IN CENTRAL SOUTHERN ENGLAND

Oxford Journal of ArchaeologyVolume 6, Issue 1 p. 63-66 AN EARLY ROMAN BURIAL TRADITION IN CENTRAL SOUTHERN ENGLAND MARTIN MILLETT, MARTIN MILLETT Dept. Archaeology 46 Saddler St DurhamSearch for more papers by this author MARTIN MILLETT, MARTIN MILLETT Dept. Archaeology 46 Saddler St DurhamSearch for more papers by this author First published: March 1987 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0092.1987.tb00141.xCitations: 1AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume6, Issue1March 1987Pages 63-66 RelatedInformation

An Early Saxon Settlement within the Romano-British Small Town at Heybridge, Essex

FIVE GRUBENHAUSER and a probable ground level building sited within the Romano-British small town at Heybridge are described. The associated Saxon pottery suggests that the settlement belongs to the first half of the 5th century, and there is evidence that late Romano-British pottery was in contemporary use. It is suggested that the Saxon settlers were involved either economically or militarily in the life of the late Roman town. The significance of a nearby cemetery containing both late Roman and Saxon burials, one dated c. A.D. 500, is also considered.