What Were They Afraid Of: The Cemetery of the Infants Near Lugnano in Treverina
Edition: 1
Copyright: 2024
Pages: 58
Edition: 1
Copyright: 2024
Pages: 120
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What Were They Afraid of: The Story of the Late Roman Infant Cemetery Near Lugnano in Teverina by David Soren, Roberto Montagnetti, David Pickel and Jordan Wilson, tells of the epidemic, believed to be Plasmodium falciparum malaria-which swept along the Tiber River valley in approximately 450 A.D., brought in by the trade with North Africa for such things as wine in large transport jars called amphorae. The epidemic produced aborted fetuses, stillborn neonates and deaths of children totaling some 58 in all. It also generated immense terror among the bewildered populace of this community.
Infants were found buried with stones wedged into their mouths and stones and large tiles placed over hands and feet in order to keep the dead from rising and becoming revenants. Puppies about 5 to 6 months of age were also sacrificed with one even being split in two, and also found associated with the infant burials were large bronze cauldrons, a bone doll that had been dismembered, burnt honeysuckle, a raven’s talon, part of a candelabrum and other items.
The excavations, under the principal investigation of the authors, began in 1987 with Dr. Soren and are ongoing, having unearthed the remains of the largest Roman villa yet discovered in Umbria, north of Rome and south of Siena. Even though late Roman society was allegedly under the sway of Christianity at this time, not a single Christian artifact has been found at the site from this period and it is believed that to cope with the mysterious deaths in the community the citizens revived earlier Roman practices, especially talismans to avert evil.
Dr. David Soren is Regents Professor of Classics with the University of Arizona and Director of the Orvieto Institute in Umbria. He holds a B.A. in Greek & Roman Studies from Dartmouth, and an M.A. in Fine Arts and Ph.D. in Classical Archaeology from Harvard University. His specialties include Roman Archaeology, and the making of documentaries. He has done extensive field work in Cyprus, Portugal, Tunisia and Italy, is widely published, and has received numerous honors and awards for his work (see his listing on Wikipedia).
Regents Professor Soren was honored with the 2005 Excellence in International Service Award.
Professor Soren founded and continues to direct the Orvieto Study Abroad Program in Italy, now the University's largest study abroad program.
What Were They Afraid of: The Story of the Late Roman Infant Cemetery Near Lugnano in Teverina by David Soren, Roberto Montagnetti, David Pickel and Jordan Wilson, tells of the epidemic, believed to be Plasmodium falciparum malaria-which swept along the Tiber River valley in approximately 450 A.D., brought in by the trade with North Africa for such things as wine in large transport jars called amphorae. The epidemic produced aborted fetuses, stillborn neonates and deaths of children totaling some 58 in all. It also generated immense terror among the bewildered populace of this community.
Infants were found buried with stones wedged into their mouths and stones and large tiles placed over hands and feet in order to keep the dead from rising and becoming revenants. Puppies about 5 to 6 months of age were also sacrificed with one even being split in two, and also found associated with the infant burials were large bronze cauldrons, a bone doll that had been dismembered, burnt honeysuckle, a raven’s talon, part of a candelabrum and other items.
The excavations, under the principal investigation of the authors, began in 1987 with Dr. Soren and are ongoing, having unearthed the remains of the largest Roman villa yet discovered in Umbria, north of Rome and south of Siena. Even though late Roman society was allegedly under the sway of Christianity at this time, not a single Christian artifact has been found at the site from this period and it is believed that to cope with the mysterious deaths in the community the citizens revived earlier Roman practices, especially talismans to avert evil.
Dr. David Soren is Regents Professor of Classics with the University of Arizona and Director of the Orvieto Institute in Umbria. He holds a B.A. in Greek & Roman Studies from Dartmouth, and an M.A. in Fine Arts and Ph.D. in Classical Archaeology from Harvard University. His specialties include Roman Archaeology, and the making of documentaries. He has done extensive field work in Cyprus, Portugal, Tunisia and Italy, is widely published, and has received numerous honors and awards for his work (see his listing on Wikipedia).
Regents Professor Soren was honored with the 2005 Excellence in International Service Award.
Professor Soren founded and continues to direct the Orvieto Study Abroad Program in Italy, now the University's largest study abroad program.