Isola Sacra Necropolis
Encyclopedia
The Isola Sacra Necropolis was the first large-scale pagan cemetery
of Roman Imperial times to be excavated. The excavator-in-chief of most of Isola Sacra was Guido Calza
. The necropolis
was found on the manmade island of Isola Sacra
, which lies between the cities of Portus
and Ostia Antica
, a region just south of Rome
. The emperor Trajan
was in power when this artificial island was created. Much of the excavated necropolis flanked the Via Severiana
, which ran through Isola Sacra and traveled southeast from Ostica to Terracina
.
The cemetery was extensive, and was comparable to Etruscan cemeteries and Christian
catacombs
. Although some tombs were constructed for the very poor, the majority of burials were built by the middle class bourgeoisie
of the area. Since the burial grounds were constructed during the 2nd century and first half of the 3rd century, a historical transition is seen in the necropolis from the pagan practice of cremation
to inhumation.
, the Antonines, and the Severan Dynasty
. By the first half of the 4th century, the Necropolis was abandoned, and by the 6th century, the burial grounds were covered with sand. The original inscriptions, found on marble slabs, provide information regarding the occupations of those whom the cemetery accommodated. The Necropolis housed generally humble professionals, including shopkeepers, traders, workmen, shipowners, and porters. Families, however, built very elaborate burial homes for their dead relatives despite their humble backgrounds.
The discovered tombs at Isola Sacra provide useful information regarding the study of bourgeois taste in painted walls. Besides paintings, there were numerous sculptures found at the Necropolis, varying in artistic merit and content. Exquisite sarcophagi exist, including one of a child with revelling putti, or a winged babies, and one of the Archigallus, or head priest, of the island. In contrast, simple terra cotta
, or ceramic, reliefs have been painted on tombs to show the professions of the deceased. Non-sepulchral sculptures found in the tombs could have been family heirlooms that were hidden in the burial grounds during a time of barbarian attack.
, suggests Roman naturalization of foreign influence, which was prominent in the Empire.
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
of Roman Imperial times to be excavated. The excavator-in-chief of most of Isola Sacra was Guido Calza
Guido Calza
Guido Calza , born in Milan in Italy, was an Italian archaeologist whose work included excavations in Rome and at the port city of Ostia. Calza served as inspector of the Ostia excavations and as the director of excavations in the Forum Romanum and the Palatine Hill in Rome...
. The necropolis
Necropolis
A necropolis is a large cemetery or burial ground, usually including structural tombs. The word comes from the Greek νεκρόπολις - nekropolis, literally meaning "city of the dead"...
was found on the manmade island of Isola Sacra
Isola Sacra
Isola Sacra is situated in the Lazio region of Italy south of Rome, near the Tyrrhenian Sea.The area between Portus and Ostia Antica was transformed into an artificial island by Emperor Trajan, creating a canal that linked the Tiber to the sea . Merchant ships arriving from Egypt and Africa were...
, which lies between the cities of Portus
Portus
Porto or Portus was a town in Lazio or Latium, just south of Rome, Italy. It was an ancient harbour on the right bank of the mouth of the Tiber.-Claudian phase:Rome's original harbour was Ostia...
and Ostia Antica
Ostia Antica
Ostia Antica is a large archeological site, close to the modern suburb of Ostia , that was the location of the harbour city of ancient Rome, which is approximately 30 km to the northeast. "Ostia" in Latin means "mouth". At the mouth of the River Tiber, Ostia was Rome's seaport, but, due to...
, a region just south of Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. The emperor Trajan
Trajan
Trajan , was Roman Emperor from 98 to 117 AD. Born into a non-patrician family in the province of Hispania Baetica, in Spain Trajan rose to prominence during the reign of emperor Domitian. Serving as a legatus legionis in Hispania Tarraconensis, in Spain, in 89 Trajan supported the emperor against...
was in power when this artificial island was created. Much of the excavated necropolis flanked the Via Severiana
Via Severiana
Via Severiana was an ancient Roman road of what is now Latium, in central Italy, running southeast from Ostia to Terracina, a distance of 80 Roman miles along the coast...
, which ran through Isola Sacra and traveled southeast from Ostica to Terracina
Terracina
Terracina is a town and comune of the province of Latina - , Italy, 76 km SE of Rome by rail .-Ancient times:...
.
The cemetery was extensive, and was comparable to Etruscan cemeteries and Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
catacombs
Catacombs
Catacombs, human-made subterranean passageways for religious practice. Any chamber used as a burial place can be described as a catacomb, although the word is most commonly associated with the Roman empire...
. Although some tombs were constructed for the very poor, the majority of burials were built by the middle class bourgeoisie
Bourgeoisie
In sociology and political science, bourgeoisie describes a range of groups across history. In the Western world, between the late 18th century and the present day, the bourgeoisie is a social class "characterized by their ownership of capital and their related culture." A member of the...
of the area. Since the burial grounds were constructed during the 2nd century and first half of the 3rd century, a historical transition is seen in the necropolis from the pagan practice of cremation
Cremation
Cremation is the process of reducing bodies to basic chemical compounds such as gasses and bone fragments. This is accomplished through high-temperature burning, vaporization and oxidation....
to inhumation.
Importance of Necropolis to Imperial Art
The necropolis also provides insight into the history of Roman Imperial Art, as paintings, mosaics, and sculptures come from 3 different imperial reigns: HadrianHadrian
Hadrian , was Roman Emperor from 117 to 138. He is best known for building Hadrian's Wall, which marked the northern limit of Roman Britain. In Rome, he re-built the Pantheon and constructed the Temple of Venus and Roma. In addition to being emperor, Hadrian was a humanist and was philhellene in...
, the Antonines, and the Severan Dynasty
Severan dynasty
The Severan dynasty was a Roman imperial dynasty, which ruled the Roman Empire between 193 and 235. The dynasty was founded by the Roman general Septimius Severus, who rose to power during the civil war of 193, known as the Year of the Five Emperors....
. By the first half of the 4th century, the Necropolis was abandoned, and by the 6th century, the burial grounds were covered with sand. The original inscriptions, found on marble slabs, provide information regarding the occupations of those whom the cemetery accommodated. The Necropolis housed generally humble professionals, including shopkeepers, traders, workmen, shipowners, and porters. Families, however, built very elaborate burial homes for their dead relatives despite their humble backgrounds.
The discovered tombs at Isola Sacra provide useful information regarding the study of bourgeois taste in painted walls. Besides paintings, there were numerous sculptures found at the Necropolis, varying in artistic merit and content. Exquisite sarcophagi exist, including one of a child with revelling putti, or a winged babies, and one of the Archigallus, or head priest, of the island. In contrast, simple terra cotta
Terra cotta
Terracotta, Terra cotta or Terra-cotta is a clay-based unglazed ceramic, although the term can also be applied to glazed ceramics where the fired body is porous and red in color...
, or ceramic, reliefs have been painted on tombs to show the professions of the deceased. Non-sepulchral sculptures found in the tombs could have been family heirlooms that were hidden in the burial grounds during a time of barbarian attack.
Graeco-Oriental Influence
A great number of the inscriptions on the tombs suggest Graeco-Oriental origin. Scholars believe this is because Portus and Ostica were a cosmopolitan towns where the bourgeois population was full of businessmen of non-Italian birth. Latin, however, was the language that most townspeople used during the time that the necropolis was built. Nonetheless, the presence of Graeco-Oriental inscriptions, along with Isola Sacra tombs that resembled Hellenistic tombs of PetraPetra
Petra is a historical and archaeological city in the Jordanian governorate of Ma'an that is famous for its rock cut architecture and water conduits system. Established sometime around the 6th century BC as the capital city of the Nabataeans, it is a symbol of Jordan as well as its most visited...
, suggests Roman naturalization of foreign influence, which was prominent in the Empire.