People feast on the dead during the early Medieval period. Researchers found evidence of this practice after they unearthed a Medieval cemetery on the grounds of a 12th-century castle.
Graveside Feasting Rituals During the Medieval Period
The burial place is in the southern region of Wales, inside the grounds of Fonmon Castle. The discovered cemetery is considered to belong between the 5th and 7th centuries, and researchers estimate that there are as many as 80 tombs in the graveyard.
Over the previous two summers, several human remains, animal bones, and various artifacts have been unearthed from the site during excavations. Subsequently, researchers analyzed the findings and performed additional radiocarbon dating.
The archaeologists were hugely surprised to find the cemetery because their first working hypothesis was that the site was a prehistoric habitation enclosure based on a geophysical investigation conducted in 2021.
According to archaeologists, the location was not just for interring the deceased. Several of the numerous animal bone fragments they found at the gravesite show signs of butchering and cooking. They also discovered metalworking waste, shards of rare, imported glass drinking vessels (perhaps of French origin), and ceramics (probably from North Africa).
As per the archaeologists, some of the materials discovered at the location might be linked to customs of feasting beside graves.
"Another interesting thing about this site is the presence of prestige material culture, including fragments of imported glass drinking vessels, which points to high-status activity taking place within the cemetery space. Again, this is quite rare for the region," per Andy Seaman, a lecturer in early medieval archaeology with the University of Cardiff in Wales, who led the excavations at the site.
"The evidence of cooking and glasses certainly suggests some level of ritual feasting, perhaps to celebrate or mourn the dead."
Why Was the Cemetery a Significant Find?
According to Seaman, the discovery of the Fonmon cemetery was "exciting" because it paved the way for them to learn about the people who occupied the settlement 1,400 years ago—additionally, the cemetery dates to a "crucial" but poorly understood period in Britain's history.
Major social, political, and economic developments occurred during this period after the fall of Roman rule, including the establishment of the Christian Church, the emergence of kingship, and the emergence of new social and ethnic identities.
However, it is underrecorded, especially in the west of Britain, where historical records are scarce, archeological sites are complex to find and typically exhibit poor item preservation.
"What we've discovered at Fonmon is a site dating to this crucial period with good preservation, not only of skeletal remains but also other artifacts. Thus, the site will help us to understand this crucial period and will allow us to use modern techniques...to tell the untold stories of a community living at this time," the expert added.
According to Seaman, the site has some extremely intriguing features. Unusual characteristics, like crouching body positions, have been discovered in the tombs that have been dug up to date. He acknowledged that funeral customs are quite diverse. However, most deceased from the said era were buried in those cemeteries with their feet facing east and heads facing west.
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