Taphophilia.(dot) Com - Headless skeleton crew baffles Roman experts

Welcome

Taphophilia (dot) Com...
A repository of morbid curiosities:
Thanatology and Taphophile Issues, Cemetery,
Funeral Industry and Death Related News.

What's at Taph?

Taphophilia Home

Thanatology Forums

Taphophile Weblinks

Taph's Article Archive

Contact Deadgirl

Donating to Taphophilia

Book Library

Deadgirl Recommends

Dig Deeper

Literature

Topics at Taphophilia

Deadgirl's Dictionary

Cemetery Photography

Industry News

Carved in Stone

A Taphophilia Thank You...

Taphophilia (dot) Com would not be possible without the knowledge, experience and talent of DarkestWeb. From
its conception and early development, DarkestWeb
was faced with many challenges; from inspiring and motivating, to providing guidance and direction. The continued dedication and support has produced results greater than ever expected, and for this, I owe a huge debt of gratitude.

Cemetery Snapshot

Announcements

Graveyards of Chicago:
The People, History, Art, and Lore of Cook County Cemeteries
By Matt Hucke And Ursula Bielski. Discover a Chicago That Exists Just Beneath the Surface - About Six Feet Under! Take a tour of Chicago's permanent residents! Please visit the Lake Claremont Press website to purchase your copy of Graveyards of Chicago today!

Green-Wood Cemetery Arcadia Publishing announces the release of Alexandra Mosca's historic account of one of New York's most famous cemeteries. Aracdia Publishing's Images of America series has an extensive catalog of many cemetery publications! Please visit Arcadia Publishing to purchase your copy of Green-Wood Cemetery and to browse other available titles!

Men of Mortuaries Calendar
To purchase your 2008 calendar, learn more about the KAMMCARES Foundation, or to be featured in the 2009 calendar, please visit Men of Mortuaries.

Epitaphs: The Magazine for Cemetery Lovers By Cemetery Lovers
For information regarding subscriptions, single issues, submission guidelines, deadlines, classifieds or advertising for future issues, please visit The Cemetery Club.

Guardians of the Soul: Angels and Innocents, Mourners and Saints, Indiana's remarkable cemetery sculpture
with photography by John Bower and foreword by Claude Cookman is now
available. Please visit
Studio Indiana for more information.

West Springfield Massachusetts: Stories Carved in Stone by Rusty Clark features information on early New England gravestone carvers with more than two hundred photos and illustrations. Please visit the Dog Pond Press website.

Headless skeleton crew baffles Roman experts

Written by DeadGirl
Wednesday, 09 March 2005
Julie Hemmings A SHACKLED, headless Roman skeleton uncovered in York has archaeologists baffled. Only days after a unique Roman mummy was found in the city, more unusual remains have been unveiled by archaeologists who are stunned by the finds. Most of the bodies, which appear to be of men aged under 46, had been carefully decapitated, with their heads deposited lower down the grave next to their legs or pelvis. Some graves contained evidence of food left for the dead to take with them into the afterlife, while most unusually, one body was still in the leg irons he was shackled in while alive. Fifty-six bodies, 49 adults and seven children, as well as 14 sets of cremated remains, were found lying between 18in and 5ft below the surface, during excavations on a building site at The Mount. Roman custom dictated bodies were buried outside the city, often at the roadside. It was expected that burials would be uncovered, as the site lies alongside the main Roman road between York and Tadcaster, but finding so many decapitated bodies in the same location is unprecedented. A few were buried with goods to take to the afterlife , one grave contained chicken bones and another had three intact pottery beakers, made in Cologne, Germany, one of which was held by the skeleton. York Archaeological Trust field officer Bryan Antoni said most of the skeletons were in good condition. "Some may have been killed or died before their heads were removed â€“ it's difficult to tell," he said. "The heads were removed very carefully, which would suggest this was probably done after death. "Maybe removing their heads would free the soul, or stop the spirit coming back to haunt the living." The latest finds were unearthed close to where a stone sarcophagus, with a Roman body mummified in gypsum, was found in recent weeks. However, they pre-date the mummy by at least 100 years, dating from the 2nd or 3rd century. The bodies have now been taken away for further tests by experts from the trust. http://www.yorkshiretoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=55&ArticleID=955796

< Prev		Next >

[ Back ]

SEO by Artio

Taphophilia?

taphophilia (taf′ō-fil′ē-ă)

ORIGIN:
From the Greek words taphos, meaning "tomb" or "sepulcher" and philia, meaning "attraction or affinity to something, in particular the love or obsession with something"

DEFINITION: 1. An excessive interest in graves and cemeteries. 2. A love or fondness for funerals, graves, and cemeteries. 3. In psychiatry, a morbid attraction to graves and cemeteries