Ustrina

Findings drawing of a Ustrina on Gräberstrasse in Carnuntum / Austria

A Ustrina (German: Ustrine , more rarely: Ustrinum ) is a cremation place for the deceased, usually in connection with a burial ground or other burial place. The pyre places were used by different cultures of prehistory and early history who knew cremation practices in connection with the burial ritual , which can be observed from the Middle Neolithic .

description

Ustrines were used one or more times. The dead were burned on a stake on them , after which the bones and other remains were collected. These were then mostly buried in a grave . Either the grave goods could have been burned or they were given to the deceased later, unburned.

Ustrines stand out as discoloration in the archaeological findings . In addition, they mostly show corpse burns , and in some cases the remains of the gifts they were given as finds.

Examples of similar rituals can be observed in ("recent") societies living today or until recently (such as the Hindu type of burial in India , where the corpse is buried in the Ganges river ).

A more representative form of the Ustrinum are the cremation sites of the Roman emperors on the Field of Mars in Rome , especially the Ustrinum of Augustus described by Strabo : after its cremation, the elaborate building was preserved as a memorial. Further finds of building remains on the Marsfeld are interpreted as the Ustrines of the emperors Hadrian , Marc Aurel and Antoninus Pius .

swell

• Sextus Pompeius Festus : De verborum significatu . 32, 7-11.

literature

• T. Bechert : On the terminology of Roman provincial cremation graves. In: Archaeological correspondence sheet . 10, 1980, ISSN  0342-734X , pp. 253-258.
• James Phillips: Funerary monuments, ustrina, general works on tombs, mausolea and pyramids. Vance, Monticello 1985, ISBN 0-89028-361-3 ( Bibliographic essays on the architecture of the ancient city of Rome 36).
• Christoph Höcker : Metzler Lexicon of Ancient Architecture. Things and concepts. Special edition. Metzler, Stuttgart et al. 2008, ISBN 978-3-476-02294-3 , p. 266.

Web links

• Ines Klenner: Roman grave fields ( memento from April 18, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) in the "Mainz Internet portal of ancient studies" on the website students.uni-mainz.de

Footnotes

1. ↑ T. Bechert basically divides Roman cemeteries into Ustrina and bustum burials. At this time, Ustrines were public cremation sites within the cemetery that were used by parts of the population. So far, such areas within necropolises could rarely be clearly identified. Tilmann Bechert: On the terminology of Roman provincial cremation graves. Archäologisches Korrespondenzblatt , 10/1980, Verlag des Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseums , Mainz 1980, ISSN  0342-734X , p. 253 ff. According to: Ines Klenner: Römische Gräberfelder , Mainz Internet portal for ancient studies, on students.uni-mainz.de.
2. ↑ Strabo Geographika 5.3.8