The eastern cemetery of Roman London: excavations 1983-1990

Abstract

• In Roman London, the dead were buried beyond the limits of the settlement, and soon after the town was established cemeteries developed to the west, north and east of the settlement. From the late 1st to the early 5th century AD an extensive area east of the modern City of London was used as the place of burial for a significant part of the local population. Following a major campaign of excavation and research, the Museum of London Archaeology Service, in collaboration with English Heritage, has produced this volume describing the eastern cemetery of Roman London. This is the first large study of the people of Roman London using data from modern cemetery excavations. The volume follows the synthetic approach of earlier MoLAS monographs to integrate all strands of the evidence relating to the 550 inhumation and 136 cremation burials, pyre deposits and associated remains into a single report which is designed to be more accessible than traditional cemetery publications. Thematic essays address topics such as the layout and development of the cemetery, the funeral pyre, burial practice and the dead. The fully illustrated catalogue includes burial goods (from hobnailed boots to complete glass vessels and elaborate jewellery), objects placed on the pyre (including items rare or unique in Britain) and ceramic cremations urns. Current research objectives and problems inherent in the excavation and interpretation of cemetery material are discussed.. A full digital resource of samples excavated at the eastern cemetery of Roman London is available for researchers via Archaeology Data Service.