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Cremation was the main funerary practice in present-day Belgium during the Roman period (ca. 52 BCE- 406 AD). Until the end of the 20th century, researchers assumed that most biological, chronological, and environmental information recorded in bone was destroyed due to high temperatures (up to 1000°C) reached during combustion. The exposure to high temperatures leads to significant structural, chemical, and isotopic changes to the inorganic fraction of bone while destroying the organic components. Despite these limitations, recent developments in Infrared Spectroscopy and carbon and oxygen isotope analysis indicate that the study of cremated bones provides important information regarding pyre technology and body management in ancient societies in which cremation was the dominant funerary practice. The aim of this study is to assess the intra- and inter-site variability in cremation conditions during the Roman period in Belgium, using Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and carbon and oxygen isotope analysis on burnt human remains. For this reason, five sites from the Early and Middle Roman period (ca. 52 BCE-270 AD) were selected. The spectroscopic and isotopic results of the cremated remains indicate that there is a high degree of homogeneity in cremation conditions during the Roman period. However, statistically, significant differences can be observed when comparing the data of the Roman period to Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age (ca. 1200–500/450 BCE) data, indicating that the way cremation was performed changed between the two chronological periods from the same area. The homogeneity in cremation settings in the Roman period compared to the variability in the Metal Ages adds to our understanding regarding the changes in cremation practices through time and space in ancient communities where cremation was the predominant funerary practice and provides useful insights regarding the pyre technology, body treatment, and pyre management during cremation.

In Belgian cremated remains, a significant difference can be seen in strontium elemental ([Sr]) and isotope (87Sr/86Sr) results between Metal Ages and Roman individuals. This pattern was well-observed within the site of Destelbergen, where both a Metal Ages urnfield (ca. 10th – 3rd century BCE) and a Gallo-Roman cemetery (1st – 3rd century CE) occur closely together, affected by the same bio-available strontium. The Gallo-Roman results show significantly higher [Sr] and a narrower range in 87Sr/86Sr, reminding of the value of modern-day seawater (0.7092) and thus, seem indicative of a certain marine influence. After exclusion of many possible causes, the increase in [Sr] seems likely related to an increased salt use as a food preservative, including salt-rich preserved meat and fish in the Gallo-Roman period. Although it cannot be ignored that multi-component diets remain highly complex and isotopic results cannot provide direct and universal interpretations, this observation might help extend the interpretation range of cremated remains. Indeed, [Sr], which are often overlooked due to the presence of more informative stable isotopes, can be an interesting additional variable when studied on a population scale. This study highlights potential dangers of changing dietary practices in cross-period palaeomobility studies based on strontium isotope ratios.

Cremation is the most common funerary practice in Belgium during the Late Bronze Age. However, often only limited information on the burned individuals was obtained due to the fragmentary nature of the bones resulting from the cremation process. Due to its good preservation and documentation, the site of Herstal, located close to the Meuse River and its 21 burials offer a unique opportunity to reevaluate the funerary practices using multi proxy analyses. Osteology, Sr isotope analyses and radiocarbon dating have been combined at the site of Herstal, revealing the presence of non-contemporary individuals in two graves: three in grave 6 and two in grave 4. Furthermore, grave 6 reveals the somewhat unique presence of several nonadults buried together in an urn as opposed to other cemeteries where commonly nonadults are buried together with at least one adult. One of these nonadults was aged between 7 and 12 years and could already have been considered socioculturally as an adult within this community based on the age and the grave goods. Moreover, as the remains seem to have been kept for a while, this practice might show a possible family/genealogical meaning at Herstal. The aim of this study is to compare the osteological and isotopic results of the graves 6 and 4 of Herstal with three graves from Grand Bois and Achelse Dijk, Belgium, where a similar pattern was observed. This research allows for new interpretations regarding the curation of the bones at the end of the 2nd – beginning of the 1st millennium BCE and improves our understanding of the society at that period. It significantly contributes to our knowledges of the funerary practices in the Late Bronze Age in the Belgian Meuse Valley., Cremation is the most common funerary practice in Belgium during the Late Bronze Age. However, often only limited information on the burned individuals was obtained due to the fragmentary nature of the bones resulting from the cremation process. Due to its good preservation and documentation, the site of Herstal, located close to the Meuse River and its 21 burials offer a unique opportunity to reevaluate the funerary practices using multi proxy analyses. Osteology, Sr isotope analyses and radiocarbon dating have been combined at the site of Herstal, revealing the presence of non-contemporary individuals in two graves: three in grave 6 and two in grave 4. Furthermore, grave 6 reveals the somewhat unique presence of several nonadults buried together in an urn as opposed to other cemeteries where commonly nonadults are buried together with at least one adult. One of these nonadults was aged between 7 and 12 years and could already have been considered socioculturally as an adult within this community based on the age and the grave goods. Moreover, as the remains seem to have been kept for a while, this practice might show a possible family/genealogical meaning at Herstal. The aim of this study is to compare the osteological and isotopic results of the graves 6 and 4 of Herstal with three graves from Grand Bois and Achelse Dijk, Belgium, where a similar pattern was observed. This research allows for new interpretations regarding the curation of the bones at the end of the 2nd –beginning of the 1st millennium BCE and improves our understanding of the society at that period. It significantly contributes to our knowledges of the funerary practices in the Late Bronze Age in the Belgian Meuse Valley.

info:eu-repo/semantics/published

info:eu-repo/semantics/published

info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Burned human bones are commonly found in archaeological contexts. Due to high temperature during burning (up to 1000°C), organic components of bone disappear and significant structural, chemical and isotopic changes to the inorganic fraction of bone (bone apatite) take place. Despite these limitations, burned bones play an increasingly important role in our understanding of societies in which cremation was the dominant funerary practice. For this reason, the application of new micro- and macroscopic techniques to archaeological cremated bone collections enables new inferences on pyre technology, pyre management and specialisation concerning the use of fire in funerary rituals. The aim of this project is to investigate inter- and intra- site differences in burning conditions (temperature of the fire, duration, size of the pyre, amount and quality of the fuel, position of the body, fire extinguishing), pre and post cremation treatment of body at several Belgian Late Bronze Age, Iron Age and Roman sites. In addition to osteological analysis, carbon, oxygen and strontium isotope analysis, infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-Ray diffraction (XRD) and elemental analysis (ICP-MS) were conducted in order to extract information from the burned bones. The results of infrared spectroscopy and carbon and oxygen isotope analysis of different skeletal elements (diaphysis, cranial bones, ribs) from different sites indicate that both the temperature and the position of the body on the pyre vary between different sites and time periods. This variability adds to our understanding regarding the specialisation of pyre technology and management at the studied sites. Inter- and intra- site variability in the burning process will be examined in the light of these results, as well as their archaeological context.