Homines, Funera, Astra 2: Life Beyond Death in Ancient Times (Romanian Case Studies)

The present volume reunites most of the papers that were presented at the second meeting of the Homines, Funera, Astra Symposium on Funerary Anthropology that took place at ‘1 Decembrie 1918’ University, Alba Iulia, between 23rd and 26th September 2012. The theme of the volume is Life beyond Death in Ancient Times. The intention was to create a forum for discussing Prehistoric, Roman and Migration Period burial practices from Central and South-Eastern Europe, focusing on elements that might suggest belief in afterlife. The interdisciplinary character of the volume is provided by the varied approaches to the archaeology by the contributors, resulting in exploring the subject from multiple perspectives: archaeological, anthropological, geological, architectural, landscape, and epigraphic. Seven studies are dedicated to prehistoric burial practices, discussing discoveries dating from the Palaeolithic (one study), Neolithic and Copper Age (four studies), and Bronze Age (one study). A study focusing on methodology proposes a non-invasive method of analysis for burial mounds, with examples from the Bronze and Iron Ages. Two studies focusing on the Roman Period and another on the Migration Period complete our vision of funerary archaeology for this part of Europe. The editor’s wish to express their joy that the editorial project, which started with the publication of the first HFA volume (R. Kogălniceanu, R.-G. Curcă, M. Gligor and S. Stratton (eds.), Homines, Funera, Astra. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Funerary Anthropology, 5-8 June 2011, ‘1 Decembrie 1918’ University, Alba Iulia, Romania. Oxford, Archaeopress, BAR International Series 2410), is followed by the present book. The basis for the series dedicated to burial archaeology with the intention to be a useful, modern, interdisciplinary instrument, is thus laid.

Table of Contents

Vivre et mourir dans le Paléolithique de l’Europe. Les communautés humaines et leur environnement (Valentin-Codrin Chirica and Vasile Chirica) Neolithic cremation graves and grave goods from Porţ – Corău (Sălaj County, Romania) (Sanda Băcueţ Crişan) Disposal of the dead. Uncommon mortuary practices from Alba Iulia – Lumea Nouă 2003 excavation (Mihai Gligor and Kirsty McLeod) Polished stone tools as grave goods in the Hamangia cemetery from Cernavodă – Columbia D. Typological and contextual analysis (Raluca Kogălniceanu and Constantin Haită) The distortion of archaeological realities through objects: a case study (Cătălin Lazăr and Mădălina Voicu) Funerary constructions characteristic to the Komariv (Middle Bronze Age) communities of the Suceava Plateau (Bogdan Petru Niculică and Dumitru Boghian) Identifying disturbances in the case of burial mounds. Case studies (Alexandru S. Morintz) A few notes on the emergence and distribution of variously shaped ditched enclosures in the Sarmatian environment, with or without graves inside (Vitalie Bârcă) Récit de vie behind funerary texts. A few remarks on CIL VI 3419 (= IDRE 27) (Violeta-Maria Răileanu) An eques romanus and his slave in a new funerary inscription from Troesmis (Lucreţiu Mihailescu-Bîrliba)