Roman funerary ritual in rural Italy (Corinaldo, AN): an integrated approach between anthropology and archeology to trace lifecycle and biological sex differences

Differences in funerary ritual based on biological sex and age-at-death are investigated in the rural necropolis of Contrada Nevola (Corinaldo, Italy). The variables considered were the type of grave goods, the distribution of tombs within the necropolis, and the burial type. These are investigated in relation to anthropological data to ascertain how much funerary ritual is influenced by biological sex or age-at-death. The necropolis is composed by 18 females, 25 males, and 37 non determined (due to the poor state of preservation). According to historical sources, the classification of the lifecycle differed between males (infantia, pueritia, adulescentia, iuvenes, seniores, senes) and females (infantia, pueritia, fertility, fertility decline, menopause). No statistical analysis was conducted due to the restricted sample, and the interpretations are based on crude and true prevalence. The quantity of grave goods among females increases with age, whereas the opposite trend is observed in males and subadults. A degree of similarity in quality and quantity of grave goods is noted among non-fertile women, young males, and infants. Constructed tombs are more frequently associated with younger individuals, both male and female. Female burials appear more carefully arranged, particularly in terms of the typology of grave goods. The placement of drinking vessels within the tombs delineates three distinct groups, which likely correspond to two phases of occupation. From a ritual perspective, no clear topographical distinctions based on biological sex or age-at-death are evident. Differences between males and females also emerged from anthropological analysis, which will be correlated to the archeological data to provide a broader interpretation of the funerary ritual. The results are preliminary because the necropolis is still under excavation and the chronology of all the tombs has not yet been established. Nonetheless, the reliability of the model could be evaluated by means of a constant increase in the number of tombs.