Identidad y muerte en las necrópolis gaditanas a partir de la biografía de sus monumentos funerarios. El caso de Lucius Popillius Acastus

Abstract

Identity in the ancient world is a debatable matter but the funerary world is an undeniably excellent point of reference. The social complexity of death can be evaluated by studying an unusual funerary monument found in the necropolises of Cadiz. The object of study for this paper includes the monument itself, its location and context, and the associated inscription, reinforcing the possible connection between identity and certain funerary customs. These rituals may be linked to particular funerary topographies and cultures. The archaeological context, the use of local materials, the imitation marble covering, the possibility of colorant remains or the size and visibility of the piece make this find unique within Cadiz and the Iberian Peninsula more generally. This paper’s main objective is thus to identify how certain ethnicities/identities became dominant within this particular funerary world. Our discussion revives reflections on the presence of settlers, indigenous or foreign, in ancient Gades.