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

The integration of bioanthropology and funerary archaeology to investigate the life course, biological sex, and their representation in funerary contexts is applied to the study of the rural Roman necropolis of Contrada Nevola (I-IV AD; Corinaldo, Italy). Bioarchaeological data are integrated with the spatial distribution of tombs, grave goods, and burial types to assess how funerary practices were influenced by biological sex and age at death. The assemblage comprises 88 individuals, including 21 females and 28 males, divided into social age groups based on the life course reported by ancient sources (females: infantia, pueritia, fertility, fertility decline, menopause; males: infantia, pueritia, adulescentia, iuvenes, seniores, senes). Statistical analyses included Fisher’s exact tests and Kaplan–Meier survival analysis. Age-at-death was similar between the sexes; however, the distribution of mechanical stress markers differed, with males showing a higher frequency and a more uneven distribution. Female burials displayed greater complexity, particularly at older ages, whereas the opposite trend was observed among males. These findings suggest a sex-based differentiation in funerary representation, possibly related to social roles. Males appear more involved in mechanically strenuous activities, and the greater complexity of younger male burials may indicate early social recognition tied to productive and economic contributions. Conversely, the pattern observed in female burials may reflect evolving social roles and embodied family status, particularly following motherhood and widowhood. Overall, the results highlight how social identities were symbolically constructed and expressed through burial practices, shaped by both Roman cultural norms and local socio-economic dynamics. These findings remain preliminary, as the necropolis is still under excavation and a precise chronology has not yet been established for all tombs; however, an expanded dataset may confirm the trends proposed here.