[SunkenCiv]

Impression of Roman infant in gypsum cast

Seeing the Dead project, University of York

[jimtorr]

A VIP’s children died, so they were treated to the best send-off possible.

In spite of the notion that classical Romans did not outwardly grieve the deaths of children, I am certain that they did. They just did not normally do public grieving.

[avital2]

i think the history of murex trunculus can be traced to ancient Israel, around Tel Shiqmona. the blue-purple color that came from the snail is called t’chelet, used for priestly garments and more especially for the fringes/tzitziot of a prayer shawl/tallit.

[avital2]

i think the history of murex trunculus can be traced to ancient Israel, around Tel Shiqmona. the blue-purple color that came from the snail is called t’chelet, used for priestly garments and more especially for the fringes/tzitziot of a prayer shawl/tallit.

[yelostar]

Tyrian purple - originated in the Phoenician civilization.

[Opinionated Blowhard]

Discoveries like this just go to show how sophisticated the Roman trade network was, and how devastating it was when it all collapsed. Purple then basically disappeared from Britain (it was extremely rare) for a thousand years until the 1400s when trade started expanding again. That is the basic story of a lot of these finds. Something common or at least more common in the far-flung corners of the Empire in Roman times disappeared for a thousand years after the Empire’s collapse.