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Magical practices? A non-normative Roman imperial cremation at Sagalassos

Bibliographic Data

ID3526622
AuthorsJohan Claeys (0009-0000-2033-4217), J M Claeys (KU Leuven, corresponding author), K Van De Vijver (0000-0002-5188-9749, Institute of Natural Sciences), Elena Marinova (0000-0003-3793-3317, KU Leuven), Sam Cleyman (0000-0003-3020-0604, KU Leuven), Sam Cleymans, P Degryse (0000-0003-3604-6505, KU Leuven), Jeroen Poblome (0000-0002-7403-1921, KU Leuven)
Year2023
Volume97
Issue391
Pages158-175
Publication date2023-02-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAntiquity (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0003-598X • E-ISSN: 1745-1744
PublisherAntiquity Publications (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.15184/aqy.2022.171
OpenAlexW4321366574
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited17

Many thousands of burials have been excavated from across the Roman world, documenting a variety of funerary practices and rites. Individual burials, however, sometimes stand out for their atypical characteristics. The authors report the discovery of a cremation burial from ancient Sagalassos that differs from contemporaneous funerary deposits. In this specific context, the cremated human remains were not retrieved but buried in situ, surrounded by a scattering of intentionally bent nails, and carefully sealed beneath a raft of tiles and a layer of lime. For each of these practices, textual and archaeological parallels can be found elsewhere in the ancient Mediterranean world, collectively suggesting that magical beliefs were at work

Ancient history · Archaeological evidence · Archaeology · Art · Context (archaeology · Ancient Mediterranean Archaeology and History · Classical Antiquity Studies · Historical, Religious, and Philosophical Studies · History

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Citations per year4
Citation span2025 - 2026 (2)
Highly citedNo

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