Archaeologists have reconstructed the story of an 18-year-old woman who lived in ancient Chersonesos after studying a Roman-era family tomb containing inscriptions, cosmetics, jewellery and ritual objects.
Researchers from the Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences examined the monumental burial following large-scale excavations in the southern suburbs of Tauric Chersonesos between 2021 and 2023.
The excavations covered approximately 8.5 hectares and revealed a substantial part of a Roman necropolis that developed alongside one of the principal roads leading towards the ancient city.
During the first centuries AD, the roadside became lined with crypts, slab-built tombs, cremation areas and other monumental funerary structures. Similar ‘funerary streets’, designed to commemorate the dead in highly visible locations, are known from Italy and the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire.
One of the most significant discoveries was a large tomb constructed from massive stone slabs. Four funerary stelae associated with the monument preserved the names of several individuals, including Annion, daughter of Aeschines and granddaughter of Heroides, who died aged 18.
Other inscriptions named Ariston, son of Attina; Ariston, son of Ariston; and Boiscus, son of Ariston. The repeated names and recorded family relationships suggest that the monuments belonged to members of the same extended family.
Historical evidence indicates that one of the men named Ariston may have occupied public office, possibly serving as secretary of the city council. Researchers consequently believe that the burial complex could have belonged to a prominent family within Chersonesian society.
Archaeologists identify the remains of Annion
Inside the tomb, archaeologists discovered the remains of a young woman alongside those of a child aged approximately six or seven.
The age and sex of the young woman, combined with the position of Annion’s funerary monument, have allowed researchers to associate the remains with the 18-year-old with a high degree of confidence.
Analysis showed that both individuals had been transferred into the tomb after their bodies had decomposed elsewhere.
A stone-blocked opening was also identified in the façade, through which additional remains could have been introduced. This indicates that the structure was reopened and used repeatedly as a family burial place.
The combination of inscriptions, human remains and archaeological evidence has provided researchers with an unusually detailed glimpse into the identity of the people associated with the monument.
Cosmetics, jewellery and figurines found in tomb
A rich collection of grave goods was also recovered from the burial, including gold jewellery, clothing accessories, glass vessels once used for oils and cosmetics, bone containers known as pyxides, hairpins, beads, amulets and the remains of a wooden box.
Two of the bone pyxides still contained traces of red and pink pigments interpreted as cosmetic rouge or blush.
Other objects may have been placed in the tomb for their protective or symbolic properties. These included a faience scarab, a miniature axe-shaped pendant, bronze bells and beads and pendants fashioned from jet, carnelian, rock crystal, glass and faience.
Archaeologists also discovered bone hairpins decorated with representations of Aphrodite, a silver bracelet and a terracotta figurine depicting a boy holding a dove.
Together, the objects provide evidence of funerary practices as well as aspects of personal appearance, belief and social status among the inhabitants of Roman-period Chersonesos.
Researchers date the principal assemblage of grave goods from the final third of the 1st century to the beginning of the 2nd century AD. The wider memorial complex appears to have remained in use until around the middle of the 2nd century.
According to the researchers, the importance of the discovery lies in the ability to combine epigraphic, anthropological, architectural and archaeological evidence. Rather than documenting an anonymous Roman burial, the evidence allows archaeologists to connect the material remains with named individuals who lived almost 2,000 years ago.
Following the excavation, specialists relocated and reconstructed the tomb using anastylosis, a conservation technique in which surviving original architectural elements are reassembled.
The reconstructed monument is now positioned at the entrance to the Museum of Antiquity and Byzantium, preserving a funerary complex through which an influential family once commemorated its dead and publicly displayed its status in ancient Chersonesos.
Sources : Institute For The History Of Material Culture Of The Russian Academy Of Sciences (Iimc Ras)
