Treasures uncovered at burial site of early Christians.
Treasures uncovered at burial site of early Christians.
AUTUN, France— — Joe Golder
Archeologists in France have unearthed 15 rare lead coffins filled with valuables that belonged to members of an ancient Celtic tribe.
The recovery included beautiful jewelry and other rare items that reveal the aristocrats buried in the necropolis (cemetery) had an allegiance to imperial Rome.
The Aedui tribe made an early alliance with the Romans in 121 BC, then appealed to Julius Caesar for help when they were invaded by the German King Ariovistus, giving Caesar a pretext to invade Gaul in 58 B.C.
Scientists even found a rare diatrete vase, also known as a cage cup, which represents an apex in Roman glass-making technology. Only around 10 complete specimens are known to exist, and this one has above its decorative motifs the phrase, “Vivas feliciter” (Live in bliss), which is reserved for the most eminent citizens.
The vase was found earlier this year in Autun, in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comte region in central-eastern France, which was once known as Augustodunum. The lead and wood coffins were uncovered during excavations this summer. Carole Fossurier led the team of archeologists and anthropologists on the dig. An earlier, partial excavation was done in the 1970s.
“This is one of the most important locations of lead coffins in France. It really is very rare to have so many,” she said.
The archeological work is being carried out by INRAP, (the National Institute for Preventive Archeological Research), the governmental body overseeing the current dig.
“During the 3rd and 4th centuries, the three main necropolises in Autun were in decline simultaneously as a new mortuary site was emerging at around 250. This necropolis seems to have become the main one in the city during the Late Antiquity. While the reasons for this transfer are still unclear, this necropolis presents a new significant feature: high social diversity,” INRAP stated.
“This necropolis emerged during the dawn of the Christianization of the Roman world, but preceded the installation of nearby churches, such as that of Saint-Pierrel’Estrier, during the 5th-6th centuries. Though the exhumed remains do not directly confirm the religious affiliation of the deceased, the necropolis must have included inhumations of the first Christian community in Autun.
“A few mortuary inscriptions, including the famous stela of Pektorios, confirm this. Discovered in the 19th century near the site, this 4th-century inscription is one of the earliest records of Christianity in Gaul,” per INRAP.
This necropolis was operational from the middle of the 3rd century to the 5th century, at a time when Christian cults were regaining popularity and influence throughout the Roman Empire.
Some coffins were filled with mud, which kept the skeletons preserved, making analysis easier, said archeologist Nicolas Tisserand. They also found gold thread in one coffin, indicating a person of wealth and distinction.
At the time, Christianity was only just beginning to be implanted in Roman Gaul, but Autun is known as a city that housed many early converts to the then-new faith, starting at the end of the 2nd century. Saint Symphorian, the town’s first martyr, was killed in 180 A.D. Autun eventually became an ecclesiastical center.
According to the archeologists, the presence of a religious elite is visible in the necropolis. Of special note is the foundation of a small mausoleum, indicating an “important figure in the city,” said Tisserand.
Fossurier added that some tombs were made of sandstone, others of lead. There was even the grave of a baby, apparently buried inside an amphora, which was common during the Antiquity and Late Antiquity periods.
The archeologists also found solid gold earrings and a garnet ring featuring a red stone with a fish symbol carved into it. The fish is known as a symbol of early Christians. They also found accessories, such as hairpins made out of amber or jet, a kind of coal.
“The diversity of these different types of burials nicely illustrates the 4th century A.D., a time when everyone could be buried in various ways, because society did not have that many norms in place,” said Fossurier.
(Edited by Fern Siegel and Matthew Hall)
(Edited by Fern Siegel and Matthew B Hall)
