Regional Patterns in Mortuary Practice in the Lower Danube Region in the 4th-6th Centuries

Abstract

Regional Patterns in Mortuary Practice in the Lower Danube Region in the 4^th-6^th Centuries

In the 4^th-6^th centuries AD, the River Danube was a permeable border. Large-scale movement of tribal peoples into the Roman Empire to the south occurred, while the Romans had enclaves to the north used primarily for military campaigns. Nonetheless, it has long been observed that there are significant differences in the nature of the archaeological record on either side of the river and the relative absence of evidence for tribal »signatures« south of the Danube has been an enigma. Based on the analysis of 1780 graves from both sides of the Roman border, this paper explores the range and variability of mortuary practices on both sides of the frontier, in order to understand whether interaction took place in mortuary traditions and the nature of that interaction. Our data indicate that in many instances mortuary practices may have been more complex and multi-dimensional than hitherto understood. Furthermore, shared elements of practice between Romans and »Barbarians« may have facilitated modification of the existing traditions, and burial practice often played out as a mixture of characteristics from north and south of the Danube. The retention of elements of Barbarian practice was relatively strong at some sites, but the extent to which a mixing of traditions took place reveals local variation in the form and degree of expression. Rather than suggesting that a Barbarian signature is missing from sites in the Roman Empire, a comparative analysis of data from both sides of the Danube reveals flexibility, complexity and variability.