Unveiling the fiery past: Insights into the cremation practices at Gallo-Roman Tienen (1-4th c.AD) using carbon and oxygen isotope analysis and FTIR-ATR

During the Roman Period (ca. 52 BCE - 406 AD), cremation was the main funerary practice in the Belgian region, characterised by an increase in the number of cremation burials. This is illustrated by the findings in Tienen, where the largest Gallo-Roman cemetery of the Low Countries was discovered with >1400 cremation deposits. These findings were already analysed for strontium isotopes and concentrations to investigate population dynamics. However, information on the way cremation was performed is lacking, despite the site’s potential for unique insights due to the large amount of cremated remains, the coexistence of diverse types of cremation deposits, the quantity of grave goods and the different chronological phases of use.
The aim of this study is to use state-of-the-art analytical techniques such as Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy in Attenuated Total Reflectance mode (FTIR-ATR) and carbon and oxygen isotope analyses to gain more insights into the pyre technology and body treatment at the Gallo-Roman cemetery of Tienen. Furthermore, the existence of variations in cremation conditions across the different chronological phases, deposit types, and the amount and/or type of grave goods were also investigated. For this reason, a total of 146 fully calcined diaphyses of long bones were analysed. Initial results indicate a high degree of homogeneity in burning conditions at the cemetery of Tienen, confirming the assumption that there was little socio-economic variety at the vicus of Tienen during the Roman period. Finally, the infrared and isotopic data of Tienen were compared with the data of five neighbouring Gallo-Roman cemeteries to enhance the understanding of the way cremation was performed in Belgium during the Roman period.