LA MEMORIA ESCRITA EN LOS HUESOS. DEL FUNUS A LA OSTEOBIOGRAFÍA DE VALENTIA

Abstract

Based on the archaeological and bioanthropological analysis of the Roman necropolis on Carrer Quart in Valencia (Spain), the city’s oldest known cemetery, dating from between the second century BC and third century AD, we examine various hitherto unknown issues from an interdisciplinary perspective. By means of isotopic archaeochemistry, various aspects, such as those concerning funerary practices, social stratification, palaeodemography, quality of life and the impact of disease, food, and subsistence economy, as well as population mobility, have contributed to enriching the landscape of the old town. Science and memory converge in Valentia through the culture and traditions documented in the funerary ritual (funus valentiae).