Archaeologists Baffled by Headless Bodies Find

Taphophilia.com ^ | April 2005 | Nick Foley

[Fedora]

There is an interesting discussion of decapitation traditions in Adrian Bailey, The Caves of the Sun: The Origin of Mythology, especially Chapter 12 and following. The gist of his argument is that in many ancient cultures the head was symbolically associated with the Sun and crop fertility, and decapitation after burial could therefore symbolize the "setting" of the soul at death as well as the decline of the Sun in winter, with the anticipation of a "rising" in the afterlife and likewise of continued agricultural fertility the next year. Horses (linked to traditions about chariots pulling the Sun) also were often buried decapitated among Indo-European peoples. Daithi O'Hogan, The Sacred Isle: Belief and Religion in Pre-Christian Ireland, p. 47 mentions an apparently related tradition practiced in ancient Ireland involving the burial of an animal skull--usually a horse--beneath the foundation of a new home.

[Fedora]

Ping to 20.

[Fedora]

Make that 21 :-)

[blam]

Iron shackles would have been very expensive to have buried with the body/victim.

Something we haven't thought of was going on here.

[Little Bill]

Headsonpikes is a Canadian FReeper.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Headsonpikes is a Canadian FReeper.

Wel, I didn't think he was an ancient Roman!

[Little Bill]

Could be, I never met him or saw his Latin.

[FFIGHTER]

Democrat's missing link?

[Eaker]

The heads presumably are singing that old song, "I ain't got nobody".

You need to go to your room!!!

; < )

[headsonpikes]

Could be, I never met him or saw his Latin.

"If I'd 'ave 'ad me Latin, I'd 'ave been a judge!"*

* Obscure ancient British humor reference.

[SunkenCiv]

great post. Also, Catal Huyuk's various human and animal skulls, plastered over, and I think even painted, found during Mellaart's excavations circa 1960 (although I'm a little leery of Mellaart).

[SunkenCiv]

Burial with the Romans (New discoveries in the way Romans treated their dead).
	Posted by vannrox On News/Activism  03/25/2003 4:19:01 PM PST · 6 replies · 310+ views British Archaeology Magazine | FR Post 3-24-03 | Alison Taylor Burial with the Romans The Romans normally respected the dead. But not always. Alison Taylor reports on mutilation, child sacrifice, burial alive and other such practices For most of us, Roman culture is a byword for civilisation in an otherwise 'barbarian' ancient world. When we think of the Romans, what springs to mind are their achievements in art and literature, architecture, engineering, law - and all the rest. Yet the undeniable sophistication of the Romans has led many archaeologists to expect civilised treatment of the dead. When excavating cemeteries in Roman Britain, we go to huge lengths to explain away...

[Fedora]

Interesting. What I'm wondering is if the burial site in the initial article reflected a Roman practice or something from Celtic culture in an area the Romans happened to be occupying. I should review Golden Bough to see if that discusses any decapitation rituals among the Romans.

[Ciexyz]

btt