Archaeologists Find Evidence of Feasts for the Dead in Medieval Cemetery

Archaeologists have unearthed an early medieval cemetery on the grounds of a 12th-century castle and evidence of ritual feasting at the site.

Researchers believe there could be as many as 80 graves at the cemetery, which is thought to date to between the 5th and 7th centuries. The burial ground is located within the grounds of Fonmon Castle in the south of Wales.

Excavations at the site over the past two summers have revealed numerous human remains, animal bones and various artifacts. Researchers subsequently conducted further radiocarbon dating and analysis of the finds.

These investigations have shed new light on life in the early medieval period in Wales (A.D. 400-1100), providing fascinating insights into the history of Fonmon and the wider region, known as the Vale of Glamorgan.

"This is a really exciting discovery. The Fonmon cemetery will allow us to discover so much about the people who lived here around 1,400 years ago," Andy Seaman, a lecturer in early medieval archaeology with the University of Cardiff in Wales, who is leading excavations at the site, said in a press release.

The cemetery dates to a "crucial" but poorly understood period in the history of Britain, Seaman told Newsweek.

"This was the time following the end of Roman administration, during which major social, political and economic changes took place, including the rise of the Christian Church, the development of kingship and new forms of social and ethnic identity," Seaman said.

"However, it is very poorly documented, particularly in the west of Britain where we have few historical records and archaeological sites are difficult to identify—and usually do not display good preservation of artifacts.

"What we've discovered at Fonmon is a site dating to this crucial period with good preservation, not only of skeletal remains, but also other artifacts. Thus, the site will help us to understand this crucial period and will allow us to use modern techniques...to tell the untold stories of a community living at this time."

The discovery of the cemetery came as a "big surprise" to the archaeologists, whose initial working assumption, based on a geophysical survey undertaken in 2021, was that the site represented a prehistoric settlement enclosure.

"This would have been interesting, but not particularly rare for the region," Seaman said. "It was only after we undertook an evaluation excavation to test this hypothesis that we revealed evidence for the cemetery. When we realized what we had and its potential for transforming our understanding of the post-Roman period in western Britain the surprise gave way to excitement and we started developing plans for a major program of research."

Some of the human remains found in the graves that have been excavated so far exhibit unusual features, such as crouched body positions.

"There are a few really interesting aspects to this site," Seaman said. "Firstly, we have a surprising diversity of burial practice. In cemeteries of this period, most bodies are placed on their backs, head to the west and feet to the east.

"But nearly a quarter of our burials are in a tightly 'crouched' position. This is seen at other sites, but not usually in this concentration. One our key aims is to understand what this means and how it might relate to the identities of these individuals."

Archaeologists believe the site was not solely used to bury the dead. Of the many fragments of animal bone they discovered at the cemetery, some display evidence of butchery and cooking. They also found debris from metalworking, as well as pieces of rare, imported glass drinking vessels—perhaps of French origin—and pottery, possibly from North Africa.

"Another interesting thing about this site is the presence of prestige material culture, including fragments of imported glass drinking vessels, which points to high-status activity taking place within the cemetery space. Again, this is quite rare for the region," Seaman said.

Some of the material found at the site could be associated with graveside feasting rituals, according to the archaeologists.

"The evidence of cooking and glasses certainly suggests some level of ritual feasting, perhaps to celebrate or mourn the dead," Seaman said in the press release.

"We tend to think of graveyards as sort of enclosed spaces that we don't really go to, but they probably would have been quite central to life in the past," he told the BBC. "It's not just a place for people being buried, but it's a place where communities are coming together: they are burying their dead, but they're also undertaking other forms of activity, and social practice, including eating and drinking—and feasting."

Further excavations are planned at the site, while more research will be required to obtain a more precise date for when the graveyard was in use. The archaeologists hope this research, alongside DNA analysis of the skeleton, will reveal more about the identity and lives of the people buried at the site.