Deviant Infant Burials in Late Roman Umbria

Abstract

My work sets forth a procedure for classifying a burial as deviant (i.e., demonstrably different from contemporary burials with evidence that any difference was created by intentional human action). This procedure is structured to guide the interpretation of burials through a two-step process which prioritizes the hard sciences by keeping field data at the center of both steps. The procedure is demonstrated through a case study on the infant cemetery at Poggio Gramignano, where I apply it to the questions, "Can infant burials of the Late Roman Empire be classified as deviant? Should they all be classified as deviant since infant burials are rare?" Although my thesis focuses on the Late Roman Empire, the procedure I lay out is adaptable for use in any geographic location or period in history. Theoretically, my process relies on the archaeothanatology method established by Henri Duday and elaborated upon by Aurore Schmitt. The scientific and analytical processes I argue must be incorporated into the study of burials are heavily influenced by the work of Dr. Michael Schiffer and the mentorship of my undergraduate professors Dr. Timothy Matney, Dr. Michael Shott, and Dr. Clayton J. Fant. I am writing this thesis not because of a failure in existing methods, but to encourage their application in the field of classical archaeology. The strongest applications of archaeothanatology are currently centered on prehistoric burials. I believe classical archaeologists can benefit from the application of archaeothanatology to our research. The long-term objective of my Master's thesis is to prevent misrepresentation of the archaeological facts and historical narratives we find in ancient burials. These issues can lead to the erasure or distortion of entire cultures that should be discussed in Classical Archaeology, especially in situations where colonization has taken place (e.g. Roman Carthage). Most major publications on the subject of deviance in the mortuary record focus on prehistoric sites, and in those cases it suffices to keep the categories very simple: "normal" and "deviant". More should be done to standardize the analysis of burials at historical sites but especially at ancient Mediterranean sites, where thousands of years of cultural convergence complicates interpretation and allows for types of deviance, rather than just the simple dichotomy of "deviant" vs. "normal". That is the gap in scholarship I hope to fill by writing my thesis on the topic of classifying deviant burials. My thesis demonstrates not all infant burials should be classified as deviant, but some should, and those can be further divided into different types of deviant burials that may represent the expression of very different intentions.