Sarcophagi in Roman Britain - Bollettino di archeologia on line

B. Russell – <strong>Sarcophagi</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Roman</strong> Brita<strong>in</strong>Aquitania 25 . The <strong>in</strong>scribed sarcophagi of York <strong>in</strong> particular, therefore, give a remarkable snap-shot of theupper classes of the city. Most probably date to the 3 rd century AD; those mention<strong>in</strong>g the colonia ofEburacum post-date 208–211 when the city was granted this status. Indeed it is surely no accident thatthese pieces date to the period imme<strong>di</strong>ately follow<strong>in</strong>g the establishment of the colony.The decorative schemes of these pieces also demonstrate an awareness of artistic trends outside ofBrita<strong>in</strong>. The sarcophagi of Julia Fortunata and Verecun<strong>di</strong>us Diogenes both have tabulae ansatae with peltashapedansae on their front facades, similar to three identical un<strong>in</strong>scribed pieces also from York 26 . Rougherversions of these pelta-shaped ansae are found on the sarcophagi of Aurelius Superus and Aelia Severa 27 .The sarcophagus of Flavius Bellator meanwhile has a more tra<strong>di</strong>tionally shaped tabula ansata. Ansaeshaped as peltae are not uncommon <strong>in</strong> Brita<strong>in</strong> but close parallels for this overall scheme come from theRh<strong>in</strong>eland, Noricum and Pannonia 28 . Consider<strong>in</strong>g the stylistic parallels between the decorated British piecesand cont<strong>in</strong>ental examples, it is possible that craftsmen associated with the military were <strong>in</strong>volved. Certa<strong>in</strong>lythe sarcophagus of the family of Septimius Lupianus is of such quality that Toynbee preferred to see ‘thehand of a legionary artist of Me<strong>di</strong>terranean orig<strong>in</strong>’ at work, rather than a local craftsman 29 . The closestparallel to this piece is the sarcophagus of Clau<strong>di</strong>a Ursa from Carnuntum 30 . Members of the legio VI Victrixwere certa<strong>in</strong>ly drawn from this rough area: a detachment of sol<strong>di</strong>ers from this legion who describethemselves as citizens of Italy and Noricum de<strong>di</strong>cated a shr<strong>in</strong>e and statuette to Mercury at Castlecary, <strong>in</strong>Stirl<strong>in</strong>gshire 31 . However, it is equally possible that local craftsmen were simply respond<strong>in</strong>g to the demands oftheir military clients. The third-century un<strong>in</strong>scribed sarcophagus from the M<strong>in</strong>ories <strong>in</strong> London, for example,shows an awareness of fashions <strong>in</strong> Rome but is clearly, as Walker has noted, ‘a prov<strong>in</strong>cial <strong>in</strong>terpretation ofmetropolitan <strong>Roman</strong> work’ 32 .It is tempt<strong>in</strong>g to see the elite <strong>in</strong><strong>di</strong>viduals who commissioned these decorated pieces as deliberatelyexploit<strong>in</strong>g the sarcophagus as a monumental me<strong>di</strong>um, and a qu<strong>in</strong>tessentially Greco-<strong>Roman</strong> one at that, fordemonstrat<strong>in</strong>g their own romanitas, wealth and consequent status. Indeed a similar phenomenon, alsodatable to the 3 rd century AD, has been observed by Mócsy among the upper classes of the urban elite <strong>in</strong>Pannonia and Moesia Superior 33 .The undecorated sarcophagiIs it possible, however, to draw the same conclusion for the hundreds of undecorated, un<strong>in</strong>scribed<strong>Roman</strong>o-British sarcophagi? Did these objects <strong>in</strong><strong>di</strong>cate a particular k<strong>in</strong>d of status that other modes of burial<strong>di</strong>d not?Walker has suggested that the undecorated sarcophagi of Brita<strong>in</strong> and elsewhere <strong>in</strong> the north-westernprov<strong>in</strong>ces often served ‘as a protective outer conta<strong>in</strong>er for burials and grave goods, often of high value, andnot, as <strong>in</strong> decorated sarcophagi of Me<strong>di</strong>terranean orig<strong>in</strong> or <strong>in</strong>spiration, to express the cultural pretensions ofthose who commissioned them’ 34 . <strong>Sarcophagi</strong> were certa<strong>in</strong>ly functional, often act<strong>in</strong>g as an outer shell for<strong>in</strong>ternal lead coff<strong>in</strong>s. However, though the number of sarcophagi excavated <strong>in</strong> controlled con<strong>di</strong>tions is25 Numerous <strong>in</strong><strong>di</strong>viduals of Gaulish orig<strong>in</strong> are attested <strong>in</strong> Brita<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong> this period: for example, Philus, son of Cassavus, a Sequanian fromthe upper Saône, at Cirencester (RIB I.110) and Lucius Viducius Placidus, a cives Veliocass<strong>in</strong>ius negotiator Britannicianus, also at York(HASSALL, TOMLIN 1977, 430 (no. 18)).26 TUFI 1983, Plates 18 and 20.27 TUFI 1983, Plate 19.28 See KOCH, SICHTERMANN 1982, 300–308 and 323–343.29 TOYNBEE 1964, 211.30 KRÜGER 1972, no. 213.31 RIB I.2148.32 WALKER 1990, no. 71.33 MÓCSY 1974, 237–238.34 WALKER 1990, 10.Bollett<strong>in</strong>o <strong>di</strong> Archeologia on l<strong>in</strong>e I 2010/ Volume speciale E / E10 / 2 Reg. Tribunale Roma 05.08.2010 n. 330 ISSN 2039 - 0076www.<strong>archeologia</strong>.beniculturali.it/pages/pubblicazioni.html18