Soldier burials with weapons at Viminacium cemetery

Abstract

Viminacium, a city which later became the capital of Moesia Superior, and the legionary camp of legio VII Claudia near the city existed for over 400 years in con tinuity. Systematic research into Viminacium’s ceme teries has revealed more than 14,000 graves and facili tated comprehensive analysis of burial customs during Roman period (Fig. 1). Until now not a single part of the entire cemetery could be identified and interpreted as legionary in character, although large areas around the urban zone have been excavated. There was a long standing burial tradition which included weapons as grave goods. The pre-Roman population consisted of the Celtic Scordisci tribe, whose weapons-related cu stoms were confirmed in a number of graves discove red at the Pećine site. During the Migration Period, Germanic tribes brought rites which included placing weapons in graves. Archaeologists generally agree that placing weapons in graves was not a common practice although some exceptions exist throughout the imperial period (Bis hop-Coulston 2006, 33-34). These examples are found both in Roman and Romanized contexts, and can also be found in regions under Roman influence Legionary soldiers (predominantly members of legio VII Claudia and legio IV Flavia) left numerous traces in all segments of life as a part of the active populati on. The practice of burials without weapons was gene rally respected, except in several cases which could be interpreted as soldiers’ graves with weapons as burial inventory. Among the thousands of excavated graves this small number is almost insignificant. Generally, most of the graves interpreted as being tho se of soldiers have belts as their inventory. Some are interpreted as soldiers based on fibulae or certain ot her finds. Therefore, we can accept that weapons were not placed in graves as a common burial custom.