Death and Burial of Roman Children: The Case of the Yasmina Cemetery at Carthage -- Part II, the Archaeological Evidence

• Published in: Mortality (Abingdon, England) England), 2003-02, Vol.8 (1), p.36-47
• Main Author: Norman, Naomi J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antiquity; Burials; Cemeteries; Children; Death Rituals; Social Structure
• ISSN: 1357-6275
• DOI: 10.1080/135762702100063115

Roman social structure is complex & subtly nuanced & the place of children within it is distinct from that of adults. In Part I we situated children within the social fabric of Roman life, concentrating on demographics & on the art & literary testimonia concerning their status, stages of life, rituals, & burials. Part II marshals some of the archaeological evidence about the death & burial of children & demonstrates how children were often buried in ways that were distinct from those for adults, either in form or location or both. This paper focuses on the evidence for children's burials in the Yasmina cemetery at Carthage, excavated by the U of Georgia, where children are segregated in a distinct area of the necropolis, & places that material within its wider archaeological context by looking at evidence from other Roman cemeteries in North Africa. Across the province, the conceptualization of children is frequently reflected in the burial practices accorded them, practices that sometimes appear to allude to the Punic heritage of the region. These differences in burial ritual illuminate the general cultural distinctions that shaped the Roman concept of the child. 2 Tables, 33 References. Adapted from the source document.