Thorvald’s Cross. The Viking-Age Cross-Slab ‘Kirk Andreas MM 128’ and its Iconography

Abstract

narratives connecting Fondo Giuliano to violent events during the Gothic Wars, the site’s importance for the archaeology of the region is undeniable. Core to the volume is the catalogue of 164 stratigraphically excavated graves, which were mostly cut into the bedrock. This part of the publication is organised by sector, and the osteological and artefactual assemblages from each grave are presented together. The finds associated with the graves (mostly ceramic and glass vessels, coins, items of personal adornment and, unusually, some scraps of textile, probably from shrouds) suggest links with the wider Mediterranean world. These finds are in line with other burial grounds of this period, but the real value of this catalogue lies in its granular presentation of the data. The colour-coded diagrams for graves containing multiple inhumations are particularly useful and help readers to gain some appreciation of the challenges facing the excavators, as well as insights into broader concerns around body arrangement and post-depositional treatment. This catalogue is followed by summaries of the bioarchaeological data from the site, encompassing human, faunal and floral remains. Much of the rest of the book comprises a systematic analysis of the contextual data from the cemetery, including numerous insights, only a few of which can be mentioned here. Importantly, the excavators argue that this was a high-status burial area – a conclusion underpinned by both the grave goods and the investment of significant labour to excavate the numerous rock-cut graves. Careful excavation and finds analysis also cast light on funerary ritual here. Central to this is the presence of foodstuffs, including eggshells and animal and fish bones, in many of the graves, suggesting that the dead were buried with offerings (though potentially some of these could have been introduced later). Additionally, the excavators were able to trace evidence in the catacomb of funerary and graveside rituals, including fragmentary artefacts and ecofacts, plus ‘wells’ and perhaps a table for offerings to the dead and/or funerary feasting. The six appendices present a combination of technical studies and further data relating to the site, including finds (coins and mineralised textiles), graphical recording (site survey and finds illustration) and digital techniques (spatial analysis of graves and digital approaches to reconstructing ceramics). A tabulated list of graves closes the volume. Overall, this is an important contribution to the study of late antique funerary archaeology in Italy; we need more detailed site reports like it.