Living In Roman London

Evidence from the eastern cemetery showed an element of the ritual that followed cremations. The process was conducted in a particular area of the cemetery in specific pits. The bones were removed from the pyre and ceremonially washed and broken up before being placed in cremation urns. During the cremation, the mourners would partake of a funeral feast, while any feasting, following an inhumation burial, would have taken place elsewhere after the burial.

Evidence for funerary meals can be difficult to find. From the eastern cemetery more animal and fish bones were found with cremations suggesting that feasting took place during the cremation process in contrast to inhumation burials where any feasting might have taken place after the burial had taken place.

There were vegetable food remains - pulses, lentils, peas or Celtic beans (an early form of broad bean) found in a raw dried state and it has been suggested that they may have been scattered during the ceremony.

One cremation from Great Dover Street (GDV96) in Southwark has indicated more of the accompanying religious ceremony. It was that of a female, possibly in her twenties. The body had been cremated on a pyre over a pre-dug pit (a bustum), a rare style of cremation in Britain which usually occur at military sites and were perhaps associated with eastern auxiliary soldiers.

The remains had collapsed into the pit and a collection of grave goods had been carefully placed over the remains. The grave goods consisted of 8 unused lamps and 8 pedestalled vessels (tazze), burnt on the inside surface and possibly used for burning incense at the funeral pyre. Such vessels are not uncommon finds in cemeteries and are often found in conjunction with lamps in cremations. It seems likely that the lamps and tazze were deliberately chosen as part of the burial rite.

Amongst the remains were charred plant assemblages. Hundreds of unopened stone pine - the kernels were eaten, a virtually complete date (the first example from Roman London); figs; an almond and a mixture of cereal grains (barley, wheat, spelt and bread wheat).

There were also bones from a dove and at least four chickens (one cockerel and three hens). All the fruits and stone pine were high-status foods and may provide some indication as to the status of the deceased. These foods would have formed the funeral feast.

There were also quantities of burnt pine cones which perhaps indicate they were being burnt to give off a strong aroma during the cremation process. It may be that stone pine, often found at religious sites, had a ritual role and was also a recognised part of the funerary ceremony.