Source/Archive record SYO1903 - The 'Headless Romans': Multi-isotope investigations of an unusual burial ground from Roman Britain
Title | The 'Headless Romans': Multi-isotope investigations of an unusual burial ground from Roman Britain |
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Author/Originator | |
Date/Year | 2011 |
Abstract/Summary
Müldner, G., Chenery C. and Eckardt, H. (2011). The ‘Headless Romans’:
Multi-isotope investigations of an unusual burial ground from Roman Britain. Journal of Archaeological Science 38, pp. 280-290. ISSN 0305-4403, doi:10.1016/j.jas.2010.09.003.
Recent excavations at Driffield Terrace in York (Northern England) revealed an extremely
unusual Romano-British cemetery of probably all male composition, more than half of the
individuals decapitated and with high incidence of other peri- and antemortem trauma. This
paper presents the results of multi- (carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and strontium) isotopic analyses
of bone and dentine collagen (n=68) and tooth enamel (n=18) which were conducted to obtain
further information on the identity of these individuals and, more generally, in order to
investigate the relationship between burial rite and geographical origin in a Roman provincial
capital. The results show that the childhood origins of the "Headless Romans" were
significantly more diverse than those of humans from other cemeteries in Roman York, but
they demonstrate also that similar, unusual burial rites do not necessarily indicate a common
geographical origin. Of particular interest were two individuals whose diet contained a
significant proportion of C4-plant (probably millet) –based protein. These are the first such
isotope values observed in Britain from any archaeological time-period. Millet was not
cultivated in the British Isles in antiquity and the results therefore demonstrate the value of
palaeodietary data for assisting in isotopic mobility studies.
Referenced Monuments (0)
Referenced Events (1)
- EYO718 6 Driffield Terrace (Ref: YORYM:2005.513)
Record last edited
Jan 31 2017 2:37PM