Roman York class 3

This week was all about funeral rites and cemeteries in Roman York. 

When the Romans first came they where into cremation quite often the ashes where put in previously used pots  could be cookery pots with no inscription so unknown.  Then within a couple of centuries they started to bury people call inhumation this was due to the rise of Christianity. This is when we started to see more memorials which where painted so they stood out, the pain fragments can still be seen on them today.

Sarcophagus where seen in high status burials, the bodies were in a lead lined coffin placed into the stone sarcophagus covered in gypsum, which goes solid like plaster so it has over time preserved an impression of the body as the bones have gone because the gypsum is alkaline so the bones dissolve it has also kept impressions of the clothes

A lot of information has been found out from the bones, age, any injures, sex, social status from grave goods and any memorials, religious practices regarding buried rights and many other things not listed here.

At the end of class out came the artifacts he bought some bones but I didn't photograph them then came some grave goods.

Coffin hinge

Amber bead from necklace/bracelet

Pipe Clay Venus Central Gaul(France) good luck trinket

Green bottle original glass ? Egypt/Germany ? Perfume/oils