Resurrecting Berytus: a contextual analysis of burials from Roman Beirut

The first Roman colony in the Near East was established in the city of Berytus (modern day Beirut, Lebanon). Following its annexation into the Empire, the city underwent significant changes. The influx of foreign colonists resulted not only in administrative and demographic changes, but also in the restructuring of a pre-existing social order. This research project examines the impact that these changes had on the mortuary customs of the city’s population. Since manners of burial are closely tied to the strongly held cultural practices and social norms of the different burying groups within the society, their analysis offers insight into the degree to which inter-cultural contact influenced these practices and how social roles and positions were negotiated in a rapidly changing environment.

This study adopts an inter-disciplinary approach and integrates the analysis of the material, skeletal and isotopic evidence from the grave, to better understand patterns of change and continuity in burial practice during the formative phase of the colony, and across the Roman period. Findings shed light on customs associated with age, gender and geographic origin, as well as status and kinship. As importantly, they contribute to highlighting the ways in which different regions, cities and populations responded to Roman rule, and the complex manner in which this is expressed in the burial sphere.