How did Romans cremate? Investigating the cremation conditions during the Roman period in Belgium

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.