The cemeteries in Roman Britain : evidence for management and related social implications, with particular reference to the late Roman period
Following the conquest, local and 'Roman' funerary customs introduced to Britain mainly through the medium of the army began to interact at a different speed and rate according to the geographical distribution and intensity of pre- existing burial traditions. At the early stage of the invasion, the new-corners made themselves 'identifiable' by following their own Romanised customs. During the 11 century the fashion of urned cremation spread throughout the province with the funerary trends in the civilian areas progressively conforming to the military. The towns continued to follow the trends imported from the Continent by adopting the rite of inhumation during the course of the 111 century, with a movement of ideas from the major to the minor urban centres and the rural settlements. By the IV century the evidence for regional patterns had started to fade, the process of assimilation set in motion in the course of the earlier centuries becoming far more wide-reaching and uniform in character. Uniformity and less apparent display of wealth in burial do not seem to have stemmed from increased management (whether religious or secular). By the IV century, the cemeteries had developed as a means of communicating
Hatton, Rebecca Casa
Archaeology
The cemeteries in Roman Britain : evidence for management and related social implications, with particular reference to the late Roman period. Following the conquest, local and 'Roman' funerary customs introduced to Britain mainly through the medium of the army began to interact at a different speed and rate according to the geographical distribution and intensity of pre- existing burial traditions. At the early stage of the invasion, the new-corners made themselves 'identifiable' by following their own Romanised customs. During the 11 century the fashion of urned cremation spread throughout the province with the funerary trends in the civilian areas progressively conforming to the military. The towns continued to follow the trends imported from the Continent by adopting the rite of inhumation during the course of the 111 century, with a movement of ideas from the major to the minor urban centres and the rural settlements. By the IV century the evidence for regional patterns had started to fade, the process of assimilation set in motion in the course of the earlier centuries becoming far more wide-reaching and uniform in character. Uniformity and less apparent display of wealth in burial do not seem to have stemmed from increased management (whether religious or secular). By the IV century, the cemeteries had developed as a means of communicating
cemetery roman_britain evidence management relate social_implication particular_reference late_roman_period following conquest local roman_funerary custom introduce britain mainly medium army begin interact different speed rate accord geographical_distribution intensity pre exist burial_tradition early_stage invasion new make identifiable follow romanised custom fashion cremation spread throughout province funerary trend civilian area progressively conform military town continue follow trend import continent adopt rite inhumation course movement idea major_minor urban_centre rural_settlement evidence regional_pattern start fade process assimilation set_motion course become far wide_reaching uniform character uniformity less apparent display wealth burial seem stem increased management whether religious_secular cemetery develop mean communicate