The tongue-tied dead: burials and cemetries as a source for sociocultural change in the south-east of Britain at the turn of the new era

• Main Author: Anton Yeraluevich Barushnikov
• Format: Article
• Language: deu
• Published: Theological Institute of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria (Saint-Petersburg, Russia), 2016-12-01
• Series: Религия, церковь, общество
• Subjects: roman britain; romanization; burial; graveyard; cremation; inhumation; excarnation; stanway burial
• Online Access: http://rcs-almanac.ru/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/%D0%B1%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%8B%D1%88%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2.pdf

The article examines pre-Roman necropolis and burials of early Roman Britain and attempts to estimate their informational importance for studies of the socio-cultural changes taken place on the island in the 1st century B. C. – 1st century. The author notes that the change in the rites (the spread ofcremation and inhumation) and principles of organizing the world the dead were part of the changes. Even a brief characteristics of the most important monuments of ancient Britain as burials in Folly Lane, Stenvee, Leksdene, cemeteries Lenkhills and St. Pancras, and urban epitaphs are enough to understand the valuabless for the reconstruction of life, identity and sacred representations of the residents of the northernmost province ofRome. The article explores rich archaeological material. Special attention is paid to the social history of Roman Britain, in particular to the study of the Roman aristocracy burial allowing to make conclusions about their ethnic origin, classes, beliefs and level of income. The author also examines some of the common questions of Roman history. In particular, the example of Britain is considered within the problem of Romanization. In general, the author concludes that burials are sources of special importance in comparison with other groups of sources from Britain, that shows prospects for socio-cultural research.