Skeleton find could tell us more about the Roman way of death

Yorkshire Post ^ | 15 April 2005 | Paul Jeeves

[Imaverygooddriver]

Why don`t they do an archaeological dig in Hitlerys closet? There`s more skeletons in that thing than Jeffrey Dahmer on a binge.

[Capriole]

Seems fairly straightforward. It looks as though these people were executed by decapitation. I don't think the fact that some of them were killed by a clean slice necessarily means that the bodies were dead when the head was cut off; rather, it just means that the body was stabilized, as on a headsman's block, before the blow.

[Grut]

Why bury a body in shackles? They must have been pretty expensive items at the time and it's not like the headless corpse was going to escape!

[spetznaz]

Vampires!

LOL.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

"It is thought the Romans could have beheaded corpses to release the human spirit, which they believed was contained in the head. "

Much like the ZULUs who sliced open the belly for the same reason.

[concentric circles]

More here: York Archaeological Trust - Driffield Terrace

[Professional Engineer]

ping

[AnAmericanMother]

Sounds like they just uncovered the Convicts' Yard burial ground.

Sort of what they'll find if they ever dig up the cemetery near Newgate Prison.

[Leo Carpathian]

Soooo, they had head hunters back then too?

[brazzaville]

Good evening.

"There can be only one."

Michael Frazier

[PzLdr]

I was under the impression that the Romans cremated their dead-thus the excitement over the skeletons found at Heraclitum(?) from the Vesuvius eruption. I know they've found mummies in Roman Egypt, but are they Roman skeletons in England? Or British slaves?

[nickcarraway]

ping

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks nick. Welcome lepton.

Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on, off, or alter the "Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list --
Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
The GGG Digest -- Gods, Graves, Glyphs (alpha order)

[ApplegateRanch]

Two puncture wounds to the neck.

Beheaded; shackled in the grave.

Sounds like some of the Transylvanian auxilliaries knew what they were doing.

LEAVE HIM ALONE!

[lizma]

the Romans cremated their dead

Yes they did. If these were Brits or criminals, maybe the Romans believed that they didn't merit cremation. The DNA studies would be interesting.

The article doesn't say if they found the skulls. Were they placed elsewhere? And why kids? Have we ever found a Roman cemetery filled with beheaded before this? Was this a punishment for something? It's pretty intriguing.

I got to spend some time in York a few years ago. It's a truly fascinating city.

[RightWhale]

Why bury a body in shackles?

That is interesting. Chains were to restrain the body so it didn't come back, and the head was removed so even if the body came back it wouldn't be able to navigate accurately. There was a lot going on with bodies, they didn't cease all function and they didn't have the modern juridical State to declare them dead.

[PzLdr]

I know the Celts took heads as trophies. Roman prisoners? But why were the heads with the bodies?

[-=Wing_0_Walker=-]

Ask Henry VIII ?

[Ciexyz]

There can be only one.

LOL!