In the ruins of a city that was once Rome's neighbour, archaeologists in summer 2009 found a 1,000-pound lead coffin. "Who or what is inside is still a mystery," said Nicola Terrenato, the University of Michigan professor of classical studies who leads the project, the largest American dig in Italy in the past 50 years.
"We're very excited about this find," Terrenato said. "Romans as a rule were not buried in coffins to begin with and when they did use coffins, they were mostly wooden. There are only a handful of other examples from Italy of lead coffins from this age, the second, third or fourth century A.D. We know of virtually no others in this region."
This one is especially unusual because of its size. "It's a sheet of lead folded onto itself an inch thick," he said. "A thousand pounds of metal is an enormous amount of wealth in this era. To waste so much of it in a burial is pretty unusual."
Modern Technology Access to Sealed Remains
Remains sealed since antiquity, such as Egyptian mummies, may be substantially damaged by the opening process itself, or by the effects of air, moisture and other contaminants contemporaneous to the opening event. Consequently modern medical technologies have become applied in order to ascertain the contents of unopened sarcophogi.
Human remains encased in lead coffins tend to be well preserved, if difficult to get to. Gobii researchers want to avoid breaking into the coffin. The amount of force necessary to break through the lead would probably damage the contents, and the process produces lethally hazardous dust. Instead, they will first use thermography and endoscopy:
- Thermography involves heating the coffin by a few degrees and monitoring the thermal response. Bones and any artefacts buried with them would have different thermal responses.
- Endoscopy uses fibre-optic cable technology to insert into the coffin a flexible cable headed with a light and camera, beaming digital images back to the researchers computers.
How well that works may depend on how much soil has found its way into the container over the centuries. Should these approaches produce flawed data, the researchers could turn to an MRI scan - an option that would involve taking the half-ton coffin to a hospital, as has happened to a number of other types of sarcophogi.
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is non-invasive and may convey information of both osteoarchaeological detail and grave goods sealed in with the body (lead is a non-magnetic metal).
Soldier, Gladiator, Bishop or Matriarch?
"It's hard to predict what's inside, because it's the only example of its kind in the area," Terrenato said. "I'm trying to keep my hopes within reason." Was the deceased a soldier? A gladiator? A bishop? All are possibilities, some more remote than others. Researchers will do their best to examine the bones and any "grave goods" or Christian symbols inside the container in an effort to find out.
A lead sarcophagus found in London contained the skeleton of a wealthy woman laid with her head on a pillow of bay leaves. Her status is apparent since, in the wet silt beneath the skeleton, fragments of textile were recovered, including the largest assemblage of Roman gold textile found in Britain wrapped around several parts of her body. Other textiles found around her are a rare fragment of silk damask as well as wool. (Thomas).
Yorkshire Skeleton Analysed by Modern Medical Technology
Already Gobii researchers can see a small but definitely intact foot bone protruding through a hole in one end of the coffin. Project managing director Jeffrey Becker says that some lead burials have allowed for "extraordinary preservation" of human tissue and hair, though the opening in the sarcophagus may mean that air has sped up decomposition of the body.
A Roman skeleton exhumed from a lead coffin in Yorkshire, UK was expected to inform anthropologists about Roman occupation lifestyle. “Although no burial goods have been found, the chief scientific treasures are the bones themselves,” said Ian Panter, principal conservator with York Archaeological Trust.
Carbon 14 Dating and Stable Isotope Study
“The skeleton can be carbon 14 dated and have a stable isotope study to determine the exact age of the skeleton and where in the country the person lived," explained Ian. "Thanks to modern technology, we are able to shed light on the person’s childhood diet and determine whether he or she was born locally, or came from further afield.”
Stable isotope studies look at the degeneration of elements like Oxygen and Strontium in bones and teeth and can provide a clue to where a person got their food from and hence where they lived while their bones and teeth were developing.
The Gobii team are hoping that their find will prove as informative. "Worst case, there's an exceptionally well-preserved human skeleton inside the wrapping." Becker said.
Sources
- Materials provided by the University of Michigan
- Ben Reus (2007) 'Half-Tonne Coffin And Roman Skeleton Discovered In Yorkshire' Culture24.org.uk 23 November
- Christopher Thomas(1999) 'Laid to rest on pillow of bay leaves: Research continues on the wealthy Roman woman found in London this spring' British Archaeology no.50, December
- Christine Dell'Amore (2010) 'Lead "Burrito" Sarcophagus Found Near Rome' National Geographic News March 29
Valerie Williamson - Dr. Val Williamson is a freelance journalist and academic specialising in historical and popular culture topics.
