The recent discovery of necropolises dating from approximately the 6th-7th centuries on the grounds of Fonmon Castle, on the outskirts of Cardiff in Wales, constitutes a major find. It sheds new light on the complex mortuary practices of this pivotal period between late Antiquity and the early Middle Ages.
Archaeologists have exhumed between 70 and 80 tombs with highly unusual characteristics for the time.
Positions of the deceased: an overview of various rituals
While some bodies adopt the traditional dorsal position, others were buried on their sides or in lateral recumbency with limbs bent, knees brought to the chest. These variations attest to the evolution of funerary rituals over time or to marked social distinctions within this distant alto-medieval community.
Sawed teeth testifying to artisanal use
The extreme wear of the molars and incisors noted on several skeletons indicates that they were probably used on a daily basis as tools for laborious artisanal activities such as working with fibers, leather or wicker. Intensive use which seems to have been reserved for a specific segment of the population.
Singular female burials: differentiated mortuary treatment
Notably, all of the bodies found in the fetal position were those of adult women. This distinctive funerary practice reserved for the deceased raises questions about their particular status within the society of the time and the persistence of protohistoric traditions.
Crockery, charred bones and games: clues to a place of life
In addition to the tombs, the site contained unusual artifacts: intact or fragmentary dishes, burned animal bones, bone game objects. Some goods even seem to have been imported, such as broken glass or ceramics from the Mediterranean basin. These discoveries suggest that the cemetery also served as a place of life, worship and gathering for ritual feasts.
Wealth of burials: the elite of an alto-medieval society
The quality of the objects exhumed, like the sophistication of certain tombs, suggest that the individuals buried belonged to an elite with a high social and economic status within their rural community.
Archaeological puzzles to solve
If this major discovery lifts a corner of the veil, many gray areas remain. The precise identities and lifestyles of the deceased remain to be established. The meaning of specific funeral gestures still needs to be elucidated through in-depth multidisciplinary studies. Additional biochemical analyzes of the bones, such as radiocarbon dating or DNA analyses, could provide decisive information. The excavations will therefore continue over several seasons to uncover the secrets of this fascinating Welsh alto-medieval site.
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