Work

Life From Death: Multi‐species Fertility Rituals Within a Romano‐british Ritual Shaft in Southern England

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Summary Romano‐British shaft deposits are an important part of the ritual make‐up of the province. However, understanding the meaning of these features is often difficult due to the lack of textual sources. This paper discusses a first century AD shaft from Surrey, England, using a multi‐proxy approach to investigate potential ritual significance. Its unique assemblage, containing one of the largest deposits of human and animal remains ever excavated from a single Romano‐British feature along with the first recorded instance of Romano‐British use of red ochre on bone (a dog baculum, or penis bone), allowed for a series of cosmological connections to fertility be identified.

Source: Oxford Journal of Archaeology

DOI: 10.1111/ojoa.12317

Author: Ellen Green

Institution: University of Reading

Language: English

Topic: Ancient and Medieval Archaeology Studies

Subfield: Archeology

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $2,760

Funder: University of Reading