An oven and two crania found at the South door of Egitania (Idanha-a-Velha)

Abstract

Two crania were identified during the excavations carried out in 2019 in the historic village of Idanha-a-Velha, under project IGAEDIS: from Civitas Igaeditanorum to Egitania. The construction and development of the city and establishment of its territories from Roman times to the donation of the city to the Knights Templar (1st to 12th century), two crania were unearthed from a small oven located at the South door of the ancient Roman city. The crania were of two individuals aged between 7 and 16 years and were dat ed from the late Roman era. Their secondary position occurred after the oven was abandoned, probably already in the 6th century. This deposit, original and unique in Lusitanian and Peninsular funerary context, raises several questions about the interpretation and reading of time sequences in the formation of complex archaeological contexts. The two individuals were analysed and the results of this study are presented. Keywords: Late-Roman wall; ancient city; Early Medieval oven; secondary funerary context; non-adult burial deposits.