Wicked and Twisted? The Phenomenon of Atypical Burials in the Late Roman Period
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21301/eap.v20i3.6Keywords:
Late Roman period, archaeology of death, archaeothanatology, atypical burials, deviant burialsAbstract
Burials deviating from the customary norms, differing from the other interments in the same necropolis, in terms of the position and treatment of the deceased’s body, the presence or absence of grave goods, or their location inside the necropolis, have been identified in all historical periods. These types of burials are usually denoted by the terms: atypical, non-normative, deviant, or unusual funerals, each of these terms implying particular meanings and connotations. In spite of this, a clear terminological consensus has not been reached, so these terms are often used as synonymous. The explanations of these funerals vary depending of the period and their context. In the case of the Late Roman period, the phenomenon of the atypical burials is recorded throughout Europe, and numerous interpretations have been offered, explaining the unusual treatment of the body of the deceased as the indicator of punishment, or a testimony to the practices caused by the fear of death. In individual, not infrequent cases, these funerals are interpreted as a reflection of marginalization and/or a consequence of a turbulent period. Namely, the Late Roman period is marked by political instability, economic crisis, frequent warfare, as well as the institutionalization of a new religion – Christianity. As a consequence, the causes of these burials become increasingly complex and demand a multi-dimensional consideration. It should be noted that the burials of this type during the late Roman period is not limited only to the region of Western Europe, but is also registered in the Central Balkan provinces, i.e. the territory of today’s Serbia. However, compared to the Western European literature, primarily published in English, which presents a rich corpus of data on atypical burials, the situation in the Roman archaeology in Serbia is quite different. In the Serbian scholarly discourse these phenomena received very limited attention, and their problematization in literature is largely absent. Bearing this in mind, the aim of this paper is to offer an overview of the documented and researched examples of atypical burials, the existing ideas and explanations for their appearance during the Late Roman period in the wider European area. The insight into multiple levels, starting from the wider temporal, as well as social and local contexts, may offer an indication of the potential causes of the practices of atypical burials during the late Roman period.
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