Archaeologists Are Not Finding Late Roman and Anglo-Saxon Burials from the 5th Century in England

A recent archaeological study explores an enigmatic question about the “missing” dead of the 5th century in Britain. A team of researchers, led by Emma Brownlee of the University of Cambridge and Alison Klevnäs of Uppsala University, has proposed a novel hypothesis: many bodies from this era may have been disposed of through methods that leave no archaeological trace, which could explain the surprising scarcity of formal burials in cemeteries from that time.

The article, published in the journal Antiquity, suggests that after the Roman army’s withdrawal in 410 AD, the custom of burying the dead in cemeteries was not a predominant practice among the rural population of England. Instead, the research points to the use of methods invisible to archaeology, such as exposing bodies to the open air or abandoning them in caves and rivers. These practices, which were already in use during the Iron Age and the Roman period, likely persisted during the transition to the Middle Ages.

The research was based on the analysis of disarticulated human remains found in caves and river contexts in England and Wales, many of which were dated using radiocarbon. The results reveal that a significant portion of these remains date to the 3rd–7th centuries, a finding that challenges the belief that all the dead from this era were buried in cemeteries.

Map of human remains from riverine or cave contexts dated to, or likely to date to, the Roman and early medieval periods. Credit: E. Brownlee, A. Klevnäs / Antiquity

The 5th century, a time of great cultural transformation in ancient Britain, has been considered a puzzle for archaeologists due to the lack of funeral records. During this period, which marks the end of Roman occupation and the beginning of Anglo-Saxon influence, new rural cemeteries with cremations and decorated inhumations emerged. However, despite the appearance of these new funeral rituals, material evidence of formal burials is scarce, especially in the first half of the century.

In certain areas, particularly in southeastern England, the number of documented burials from the 5th century is surprisingly limited, the researchers state in their study. In places like Kent, the lack of graves from this time has led some archaeologists to speculate that the early settlers after the Roman withdrawal practiced cremation, but Brownlee and Klevnäs consider it unlikely that all these remains were destroyed.

The key to this research lies in the continuity of invisible funerary practices. According to the study, these customs, such as exposing bodies in remote locations or depositing them in natural contexts, may have survived even after the end of Roman Britain. These rites, which left no archaeological trace, likely persisted through the transition into the Early Middle Ages.

An early 5th century Roman lead coffin found in Leeds. Credit: Leeds City Council

The authors’ hypothesis involves a rethinking of traditional interpretations of cultural and demographic continuity in post-Roman England. Historically, studies of this transition have been based on formal burial records. However, the fact that many of the dead from this era do not appear in cemeteries suggests that more complex and less visible funeral rites were practiced.

The study also points to similar practices in other regions of Europe during the same period. In Scandinavia, for instance, there is evidence that in the Viking Age, a large portion of the population did not receive formal burials, and in Poland, disarticulated human remains have been found in caves dating to the 3rd–5th centuries.

The researchers emphasize that this absence of remains should not be interpreted as a population decline but rather as a sign that many groups continued following funerary rites not visible to archaeologists. The lack of visible burials may have distorted our interpretations of migration and identity in the Early Middle Ages, they note.

The study concludes that these invisible practices, such as the scattering of ashes after cremation or the exposure of bodies in natural settings, were likely more common than previously thought, raising new questions about the treatment of the dead in early medieval England. While visible cemeteries have been key to understanding this period, the authors suggest that other methods of body disposal, such as those documented in caves and rivers, may have been equally significant.

SOURCES

Brownlee E, Klevnäs A. Where is everybody? The unburied dead in late Roman and early medieval England. Antiquity. Published online 2024:1-14. doi:10.15184/aqy.2024.147