The Roman Cemetery at Brougham, Cumbria: Excavations 1966-67

The rescue excavations at Brougham uncovered the largest cemetery associated with a fort in the north yet dug. They revealed a third century cemetery where not only the soldiers, but also their wives and children were cremated and buried. The dead were provided with expensive pyre goods, such as elaborately decorated biers, jewellery, military equipment, household items and a wide range of animal offerings including horses. Their remains were generally deposited with pottery vessels including a large number in samian and Rhenish colour-coated wares. It has been possible to show that all parts of the funerary ritual was strongly structured by the age and sex of the deceased. There is good evidence that the unit was originally from the Danubian frontier. The volume includes detailed specialist reports on all aspects of the finds and funerary rituals. A database of the results is included on a CD to facilitate further analysis.