Mummification is often associated with ancient Egypt, a practice deeply ingrained in their beliefs about the afterlife. However, preserved human remains from the Roman period also exist, offering unique insights into life and death in the Roman world. These discoveries provide valuable historical and scientific data, challenging the perception that body preservation was solely an Egyptian phenomenon.
Uncommon Practice and Key Discoveries
Mummification was not a common Roman burial practice; Roman funerary traditions typically involved cremation or inhumation. Ancient Egyptians, in contrast, believed preserving the body was necessary for the soul’s journey to the afterlife, leading to elaborate mummification techniques. Despite these differing cultural norms, unique circumstances led to the preservation of human remains in various Roman provinces.
Roman Egypt is a significant area for Roman-era mummies, as Egyptian traditions persisted under Roman rule. In places like the Fayoum Basin, including Hawara and Antinoopolis, naturalistic painted portraits were often attached to mummies of upper-class individuals. These “Fayoum mummy portraits,” dating from the late 1st century BC to the mid-3rd century AD, blend Greco-Roman artistic styles with Egyptian mummification practices. Recent discoveries in Fayoum, such as a funerary building and additional mummy portraits, continue to highlight the region’s importance.
Beyond Egypt, other parts of the Roman world also yielded preserved remains, often due to natural rather than intentional mummification. In Sicily, for instance, collections of mummified bodies have been found. The Capuchin Catacombs in Palermo house thousands of mummies from later periods, providing a glimpse into preservation practices and societal status. These natural conditions could also have impacted earlier Roman-era remains.
The Canary Islands offer another example of body preservation. The indigenous Guanche people practiced mummification, known as “mirlado,” with methods similar to ancient Egyptian techniques. Discoveries on islands like Tenerife and Gran Canaria include remains dating back to the 3rd century CE, highlighting varied preservation in different environmental contexts.
Methods of Preservation
The preservation of human remains from the Roman era occurred through diverse mechanisms: intentional mummification and natural preservation. Intentional mummification, particularly prevalent in Roman Egypt, involved the removal of internal organs, except for the heart. This was followed by body dehydration using natron, a naturally occurring salt mixture that acted as a powerful desiccant.
After dehydration, the body was often cleansed, stuffed with materials like linen or sawdust to restore form, and then meticulously wrapped in layers of linen bandages, sometimes soaked in resin. In some instances, resin was poured into the cranial cavity after brain removal.
Natural preservation, on the other hand, relied on specific environmental conditions that inhibited decomposition. Dry climates, such as deserts, could naturally desiccate bodies, preventing bacterial growth and preserving soft tissues. Bodies found in peat bogs, known as “bog bodies,” are another form of natural preservation. These acidic, low-oxygen, and cold environments effectively tan the skin and soft tissues, sometimes preserving hair, nails, and even internal organs with remarkable detail.
Examples of bog bodies, like the Amcotts Moor Woman from Lincolnshire, England, dated to the late Roman Period (A.D. 200-400), show how natural conditions led to preservation within the Roman sphere of influence. Similarly, bodies found in salt mines or other mineral-rich environments could undergo natural mummification as salts absorbed moisture and inhibited decay.
Insights into Roman Life and Death
The study of Roman mummies offers a unique window into the daily lives, health, and cultural practices of people across the Roman Empire. Scientific investigations, particularly through CT scans, allow researchers to examine internal structures without disturbing the remains. These analyses can reveal evidence of common ailments, such as dental diseases including tooth decay, abscesses, and gum disease.
Scans have also shown hardened plaque in arteries, indicating atherosclerosis, a condition often associated with modern lifestyles but present even in ancient populations. This suggests that factors beyond contemporary diet and exercise, such as genetics or other environmental elements, may have contributed to cardiovascular disease in antiquity. Studies of Roman-era mummies also provide insights into the prevalence of diseases like tuberculosis.
Beyond health, these preserved remains shed light on Roman burial customs and social distinctions. Fayoum mummy portraits, for example, illustrate a blending of Roman artistic styles with traditional Egyptian beliefs about the afterlife. The quality of mummification and funerary adornments often reflected the socioeconomic status of the deceased.
Mummies can also provide clues about diet through analysis of preserved stomach contents or isotopic analysis of bones. Genetic studies on these remains can illuminate population movements, genetic heritage, and relationships between ancient groups. By examining these individuals, scientists can reconstruct aspects of their lives and the broader social and cultural contexts in which they lived.