A new analysis of a skeleton discover at an ancient Roman cremation cemetery in Pommerœul, Belgium, has reveal an unusual find, the bones actually belong to at least five different individuals spanning a period of 2,500 years.
Originally unearth in the 1970s near the French border, the grave include one skeleton in a fetal position, an uncommon pose for Roman-era burials.
Initial assumptions suggest it was a single Roman-era burial, but new scientific examinations show otherwise, challenging previous understandings of the site.
In 2019, radiocarbon testing gives surprising results, showing that while the cremate remains were indeed from the Roman period, bones in the fetal burial trace back much earlier to the Neolithic era, around 7000 to 3000 B.C.
Archaeologists, led by Barbara Veselka of Vrije Universiteit Brussel, applied various techniques, including DNA sequencing and radiocarbon dating, to confirm that the grave contained bones from five distinct people.
Although the exact number may exceed five, Veselka confirm that DNA analysis identified at least five separate individuals.
The discovery prompt further investigation into why Roman burials would feature Neolithic remains.
A Roman bone pin was find near the skull, which was identified as belonging to a Roman-era woman from the third or fourth century A.D.
One hypothesis suggests that Roman settlers may have stumble upon the Neolithic grave and decide to add the woman’s skull to the site.
Other possibility is that the Romans create this composite skeleton by arranging scatter bones from different time periods in an intentional pattern.
Experts believe the Pommerœul site may have held cultural or spiritual significance due to its proximity to a river, which has often consider a powerful location across various periods and cultures.
Bioarchaeologist Jane Holmstrom of Macalester College, who was not part of the study, remark that the Romans may have aim to establish a historical or territorial connection to the land by assembling these remains, reflecting an ancient form of land-claiming through burial practices.
The true purpose of this composite burial remains a mystery lost to history.
