Antiquity: rites were held at the beginning of the Roman Empire to prevent the revenge of the dead
Scientists at the Catholic University of Louvain Belgium and the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences reported on the unusual burial practices of people from the time of the early Roman Empire, who lived in the territory of the modern southwestern part of Turkey. The opening is described in the article, published in the journal Antiquity.
Excavations have been carried out in the ancient city of Sagalassos and the artifacts discovered date back to around 100 to 150 AD. Previous studies have shown that these sites were occupied by the Romans from the 5th to the 13th century and that the architectural structures were built in the Roman style. However, on the outskirts of the excavation site, evidence of cremation was found, which was uncharacteristic of the rest of the Romans.
It turned out that the people of Sagalossos were performing the cremation on site and that the place of combustion of the remains was sealed under a blanket of lime and bricks. Additionally, archaeologists discovered unique bent nails buried with the remains. Experts believe that people practiced funeral rites here, designed to prevent the escape of the deceased and his revenge. Twisted nails placed around the charred bones served as a “magical barrier” and the lime was believed to prevent the vengeful spirit from escaping from the ground.