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The ‘Semblance of Immortality'? Resinous Materials and Mortuary Rites in R oman B ritain
Author(s) -
Brettell R. C.,
Stern B.,
Reifarth N.,
Heron C.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
archaeometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.716
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1475-4754
pISSN - 0003-813X
DOI - 10.1111/arcm.12027
Subject(s) - immortality , context (archaeology) , archaeology , chemistry , art , ancient history , geography , history , literature
There is increasing evidence for complexity in mortuary practices in B ritain during the R oman period. One class of burials demonstrates an association between inhumation in stone sarcophagi or lead‐lined coffins, ‘plaster’ coatings, textile shrouds and natural resins. It has been suggested that this ‘package’ represents a deliberate attempt at body preservation. Fragments with a resinous appearance found in one such burial from A rrington, C ambridgeshire, UK were analysed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The triterpenic compounds identified are biomarkers for the genus P istacia and provide the first chemical evidence for an exotic resin in a mortuary context in R oman B ritain.