A recent study published in the journal Antiquity has revealed that a skeleton discovered in a Roman-era tomb in Pommerœul, Belgium, is actually a composite of bones from at least five individuals who lived across a span of 2,500 years. Researchers used multiple techniques, including skeletal analysis, radiocarbon dating, and ancient-DNA sequencing, to shed light on this unusual burial practice.
The tomb, known as "Tomb 26," was unearthed in the 1970s during excavations of a cemetery in Pommerœul, near the French border. The excavation yielded 76 cremation burials typical of the Roman period and one inhumation burial of a body in a fetal position—a practice more common in prehistoric times than in the Roman era. Associated artifacts and burial style initially suggested that the skeleton dated to the 2nd or 3rd century AD.
Archaeologists were intrigued by the body's position and the presence of a Roman-style bone pin found near the skull. The flexed position of the skeleton was atypical for Roman burials, raising questions about its origins. Recent analyses have now revealed that the remains consist of bones from at least five different individuals who lived during separate intervals over a period of 2,500 years, including a Gallo-Roman skull.
DNA analysis conducted by an international team confirmed that the skeleton is a composite, with bones belonging to at least five different individuals who lived at separate intervals. Radiocarbon dating showed that some bones belonged to three different Neolithic eras from 7000 to 3000 BC, while the skull and bone pin date to the Roman period around the third to fourth centuries AD. "It is likely that more than 5 individuals contributed to the 'individual', but 5 were confirmed by DNA," said Barbara Veselka, an archaeologist at Vrije Universiteit Brussel who led the study, according to Live Science.
The discovery suggests that the remains were manipulated and assembled postmortem. The researchers propose several hypotheses to explain this unusual composite burial. One possibility is that the Romans accidentally disturbed an ancient Neolithic grave while burying their own cremated remains. According to the researchers, "Either there was originally no cranium and the Roman community that discovered the burial added one to complete the 'individual', or they replaced the existing Neolithic-date cranium with a Roman-period one," as reported by *Gazeta.ru*.
While archaeologists routinely find manipulated human bodies, the assembling of bones from different people is much rarer. "Rarer still are composite individuals with skeletal elements separated by hundreds or even thousands of years," the researchers note, according to The Independent. The level of precision with which this "composite skeleton" was assembled suggests that the creator had an advanced knowledge of human anatomy, reflecting great care and planning. "The bones were selected, a suitable place was chosen, and the elements were carefully arranged to imitate correct anatomical order," they state. "The resulting burial implies great care and planning, as well as a good knowledge of human anatomy."
Archaeologists believe this could have been done out of superstitions or a desire to establish a symbolic connection with those who lived on that land before the arrival of the Roman Empire. "Perhaps this community was inspired by superstition or felt the need to connect with an individual who had occupied the area before themselves," the researchers wrote, as reported by Live Science.
Commenting on the study, Jane Holmstrom, a bioarchaeologist at Macalester College in Minnesota who was not involved in the research, told Live Science in an email: "This is an incredibly fascinating and complex study. It provides an interesting possibility of land-claiming through burial during the Neolithic, with family groups within the clan asserting claim together, with the Romans furthering the land claim to assert their authority over Gaul."
In addition to the composite skeleton, researchers found badger bones in the tomb, raising further questions about the role of these animal remains in funerary rituals. Although badgers are natural burrowers, the discovery of a burned phalanx suggests possible ritual activity associated with the burial.
These analyses raised additional questions: Why was a Roman woman's skull placed in a Neolithic burial, and why was the Neolithic burial made up of multiple people's remains? The Romans' motivation for adding to this burial is lost to time. Scientists say, the Romans, likely inspired by superstition, may have intentionally assembled the composite skeleton to connect with an individual who had occupied the area before themselves.
Despite their cultural differences, it's possible that people from both Neolithic and Roman times selected the burial spot for its proximity to a river. "Throughout the ages, rivers and other bodies of water were considered to be important, both geographically and spiritually. Pommerœul was located near a river, which may have been a powerful place," Veselka said, according to Live Science.
Pommerœul's Tomb 26 contributes to our growing understanding of the variability of human burial practices and provides a unique link between the Late Neolithic and Roman worlds. Whether the Neolithic bones come from Pommerœul burials or more distant mortuary contexts, and whether the assembly of the bones took place in the Late Neolithic or Roman period, the presence of the "individual" was clearly intentional, the archaeologists conclude. "Researchers conclude that 'the presence of the "individual" was clearly intentional,'" reports *The Independent*.
The study highlights the complexity of ancient funerary practices and suggests that, at some point during the Roman period, someone decided to "complete" or "reassemble" the skeleton of an ancient inhabitant by adding a skull and artifacts from their own era. "It's a unique finding that illustrates the complexity of ancient funerary practices," the researchers state, according to LBV Magazine.
This remarkable discovery underscores the intricate ways in which ancient societies engaged with the past and offers valuable insights into cultural interactions across millennia.
Sources: LBV Magazine English Edition, Live Science, Gazeta.ru, The Independent
This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq