Food for the dead, fuel for the pyre: symbolism and function of plant remains in provincial Roman cremation rituals in the necropolis of Bracara Augusta (NW Iberia)

Interpretation of Funerary Spaces in Roman Times: Insights from a Nucleus of Braga, NW Iberian Peninsula

“…As usual, in Roman cities, these spaces were located outside the walls of the cities, near the main or the secondary roads. In the city, there is the Maximinos necropolis (Via XX and XVI), the Rodovia necropolis (Via Bracara Augusta-Emerita Augusta), the Campo da Vinha nuclei (Via XIX/XVIII), and the necropolis of Via XVII (Via Bracara Augusta-Asturica Augusta), where the intervention area of the former Post Office block (CTT), under the present investigation is located, including the archeological nucleus of Dr. Gonçalo Sampaio street and the nucleus of Cangosta da Palha (Braga and Martins 2015;Vaz et al 2021, and references therein) (Figure 1). The investigation of Braga's Roman necropolis has been recorded over the last nearly 40 years of archeological excavations in the city, under the Bracara Augusta Project (Martins 2014;Martins and Carvalho 2017;do Carmo Ribeiro 2008) In the city of Braga, there are several necropolis spaces (Figure 2).…”

Archaeological and Chemical Investigation on Mortars and Bricks from a Necropolis in Braga, Northwest of Portugal

“…Thus, in Braga, the Maximinus necropolis (Via XX and XVI), the Rodovia necropolis ( Via Bracara Augusta — Emerita Augusta ), the Campo da Vinha nuclei (Via XIX/ XVIII?) and the necropolis of Via XVII (Via Bracara Augusta — Asturica Augusta ), revealed a recent building intervention, forming the archaeological nucleus of Dr. Gonçalo Sampaio Street and the nucleus of Cangosta da Palha [ 18 ] and references therein ( Figure 1 ).…”

“…The study of the Roman necropolises of Braga resulted from the archaeological record accumulated over nearly 40 years of research in the city, in the context of the Bracara Augusta project [ 16 ], under the responsibility of the Archaeology Unit of the University of Minho. Several studies resulted from this research, among which one dedicated to the theme of the necropolis nucleus of Via XVII [ 19 ], and another one related to the funerary topography of the Via XVII necropolis in Late Antiquity [ 18 ]. The Via XVII necropolis, located in one of the East exits of Bracara Augusta , known since the 1940s, is undoubtedly the most studied ancient funerary context in the city, of which 12 distinct nuclei are known, dating from the Roman period to the Suevo–Visigothic era.…”

Ana Ruiz Osuna (Coord.), Morir en Hispania. Novedades en topografía, arquitectura, rituales y prácticas funerarias, SPAL Monografías Arqueología XXXVII, Editorial Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, 2021, 477 pp. ISBN: 978-84-472-3055-6.

“…A monografia, cujo aparecimento se saúda pela sua novidade, encerra um conjunto de contributos diversificados, que se agrupam de modo a garantir um propósito de coerência organizativa, sempre de difícil equilíbrio tratando-se de resultados de uma reunião científica, mas que lhe garantem uma posição incontornável para os estudos sobre a morte na Hispânia, apesar de estarem ausentes resultados recentes igualmente relevantes, como, por exemplo, os associados às cidades de Bracara Augusta ou de Olisipo (v.g. Braga, 2018;Vaz et al, 2020;Silva, 2021).…”