Ongoing Interactions between the Living and the Dead in Roman Cemeteries

Zoom, 6 PM EST (registration link below)

Bodies and burials from Roman cemeteries provide exceptional insight into the lives of ordinary Romans, as an indication of how a living population disposed of, curated and remembered the deceased. Once funerary rites were carried out and completed, how and why did the living and the dead continue to interact with the dead, and what role did the dead body play in those encounters? In order to answer these questions, this talk first addresses the absence of the dead body in the study of Roman burial practices, before turning to case studies from recently excavated graves at the Vagnari Cemetery in southern Italy, where human remains were encountered, repositioned or otherwise disturbed. I argue that the material properties of the body in different stages of decay offer a vital lens through which to understand post-burial practices, including grave disturbance, reopening, reuse or violation.

Biography

Liana Brent is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medieval and Classical Studies, Bates College.