A TEAM of archaeologists from the Catholic University of Leuven (KU Leuven) and the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences in Belgium reported the existence of unique burial practices carried out by people from the era of the early Roman Empire in what is now southwestern Turkey.
In a paper published in the journal Antiquity on February 21, the team explains their findings regarding burial locations and artifacts. The team examined the site in Sagalassos, with artifacts at the location estimated to date from around 100 AD to 150 AD.
These artifacts show that the people in Sagalassos at that time had ways cremation which was different compared to the general practice in other areas of the Roman Empire.
Instead of burning the body on a pyre, collecting the remains, and moving them to another location, they perform cremation directly on the spot without needing to move the body.
Quoted from Live Science on Thursday (12/12), Archaeologist from the Catholic University of Leuven (KU Leuven) Belgium, Johan Claeys said that this cemetery was covered with not just one, but three different layers, which apparently reflects an effort to protect the living from spirits. dead person or vice versa.
Researchers suspect that this unusual funeral ceremony was performed to prevent the spirits of the deceased from escaping. Those carrying out the burials apparently feared retribution, and so used various measures to ensure the bodies remained safely locked in the ground.
“While each of these practices is known from Roman-era burials, on-site cremation, tile or plaster coverings, and the occasional bent nail, the combination of the three has never been seen before and suggests a fear of the ‘restless dead,’” says Johan Claeys.
As part of the project Study Sagalassos archaeology, burials on the outskirts of the city were excavated and studied including the practice of “non-normative cremation.”
Typically, cremation in the Roman era involved burning the body, followed by collecting the ashes to place in an urn before burial in a tomb or placement in a mausoleum. However, at Sagalassos, cremation was carried out directly on site, which is revealed by the anatomical position of the remaining bones.
What is more interesting is the contrast between the grave goods and the closed tomb. Archaeologists found common burial items, such as fragments of woven baskets, food remains, coins, and ceramic and glass vessels.
Unique Item
Researchers also found unique items buried with the bodies, such as nails that were deliberately bent. In addition, unlike other cremation sites of that time, the cremation area at Sagalassos was sealed with a layer of lime and brick.
Marco Milella, a researcher at the Institute of Forensic Medicine at the University of Bern in Switzerland who was not involved in the study, said he tended to agree with the conclusion about bent nails, which Milella said were often found in Western European burials dating from the first to second centuries AD.
“Fear of the dead is a possibility, as are amulets to protect the dead or perhaps both.” he added.
The beliefs that prompted the Sagalassos people to bury this man in such an unusual way could be considered a form of magic, that is, an act intended to produce a certain effect through supernatural connections.
It is possible that this unusual burial was carried out to ward off death that was considered unusual or unnatural. However, researchers found no signs of trauma or disease in the bones. (Livescience/P-5)
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