Dave Webb/Cambridge Archaeological Unit
Posted on 06/08/2021 6:10:05 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
The cemeteries hold the burials of 52 people, and the 17 decapitated bodies include those of nine men and eight women and all over 25 years of age at time of death, a team of researchers reported in a paper published online May 19 in the journal Britannia.
In many cases, the heads of the decapitated individuals were buried beside their feet and pottery was placed where their head normally would have been. Some of the bodies were also placed prone (stomach down) in their graves...
During the third and fourth centuries there were numerous civil wars within the Roman Empire, with multiple people often fighting to be named emperor. Additionally attacks from so-called "barbarians" were a major concern at this time.
Despite possibly being executed, the individuals were still buried with pottery vessels and in some cases were placed in coffins.
"A decapitated female had by far the richest collection of grave goods, having been buried with two vessels and a necklace of cannel coal beads," Isabel Lisboa, the archaeologist who led excavations, told Live Science. Cannel coal is a type of coal that lights up easily.
"Under Roman law, family and friends could request the return of the body of an executed criminal for burial," the team wrote in the journal article.
(Excerpt) Read more at sciencealert.com ...
In before the Austin Powers jokes start. Thanks RB for the link.
Early muzzies?
Some sort of formal execution anyway.
They should never have crossed Titus “the Shark” Andronicus. His boys knew how to take care of business.
We may never know their motivation ...
Gladiators were occasionally buried in this fashion, but I don’t know who else might have been treated this way.
I think they were decapitated because they crossed Hilarious Clintonitus.
Vampires
Gladiators were occasionally buried in this fashion, but I don’t know who else might have been treated this way.
LOL!
Maybe a criminal act, aborted by the late arrival of forces of law and order? What was the state of civil protection for wealthy Romans? Did they have their own security or was there any community force, maybe more military than what we might call police today?
If the attack was interrupted, the thieves might have gotten away but without much loot. But the wealthy Romans by that point would be dead.
And Nobody Knows Why They Were Killed....
I am not losing any sleep on this one.
Roman citizens were beheaded. Non-citizens were crucified, or sometimes burned on a stake.
Romans were brutal. When Tiberius discovered his tyrannical henchman Sejanus’ plans to usurp him, he had his 2nd in command Macro murder hundreds of Sejanus’ supporters and family members. Many of their decapitated bodies were left in public view for days. Sejanus’ young daughter Junilla could not be executed because of a Roman law against executing virgins. So one of Macro’s centurians was ordered to rape her first, with a rope around her neck, and then strangle her. Her defiled and murdered body was then also displayed.
Plus, that whacko who portrayed Sejanus emerged as a leftist pig and Nevertrumper, completely destroying any further interest for me in Star Trek.
But remember also that Roman writers were op-ed writers first, historians second.
[snip] Most historical documentation of Tiberius’ revenge is given by Suetonius and Tacitus; their portrayal of a tyrannical, vengeful emperor has been challenged by several modern historians. [/snip]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sejanus#Execution_and_aftermath
as for Macro (again, per surviving histories):
[snip] Caligula had begun to take power immediately upon hearing that Tiberius had died of natural causes but without making sure that Tiberius was dead. Tiberius was still alive and, shortly after, was heard calling for food. In order to prevent an embarrassing and potentially dangerous situation, should Tiberius have reacted angrily to Caligula’s hasty ascension to power, Macro “ordered the old Emperor to be smothered under a huge heap of clothes.”
Macro was confident of rapid promotion for past services but Emperor Caligula was aware of the potential threat Macro posed and soon removed him from office. According to some sources, Macro was promised the governorship of Egypt but upon arriving at Ostia with Ennia to take ship, he was instead arrested and stripped of his office. Macro committed suicide soon after. Macro was able to leave enough money to provide an amphitheatre for his home town of Alba Fucens. [/snip]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naevius_Sutorius_Macro
This may be it:
“...And Nobody Knows Why They Were Killed”
What? No video? /s
LOL. You are clearly referring to I, Claudius, the brilliant BBC series. Yes, Patrick Stewart played Sejanus and yes he is an SJW fart now. I much prefer the other Enterprise Captain Kirk, who regularly battles woke leftists on Twitter on issues like guns and transgender crap.
Same here.
Put the FIB’s on the case. We could have an answer sometime in the next century.
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