Ciprian Crețu – Child Space 2025 | Day 3 Session 4 – Child in Space and Time

(Bio)archaeology of Children at the Edge of the Roman Empire. A View from Late Antique Scythia (Southeastern Romania)

Ciprian Crețu
Department of Paleoanthropology & Human Osteology, The F.I. Rainer Institute of Anthropology, Bucharest, Romania

The Late Antique mortuary record along the western Black Sea coast offers a wealth of information, with thousands of burials uncovered at key sites such as Callatis, Histria, Ibida, and Tomis. These sites served as important urban and administrative centers, and their cemeteries provide indispensable insights into the region’s demographic composition, cultural practices, and social structures. Archaeological excavations, initiated as early as the late 19th century and continuing to the present day, have revealed a diverse array of funerary contexts, from simple inhumations to collective burials. Despite this abundance of material, the comprehensive anthropological study of osteological remains has been sporadic, leaving significant gaps in our understanding of the population’s biological and social dynamics during this period.
This presentation aims to provide a concise synthesis and critical evaluation of the current state of research on children funerary practices along the western Black Sea coast. It reviews the available archaeological and osteological material, assessing the number of identified child burials, the extent of anthropological analysis conducted to date, and the potential for future research. Additionally, it addresses the limitations and shortcomings of previous investigations within the regional research landscape, highlighting the need for more comprehensive studies. Finally, it examines the role of bioarchaeology and mortuary archaeology in reconstructing the lived experiences, health, social identities, and funerary treatment of children during the Romano-Byzantine period in Scythia.

More information: https://www.childspacebudapest2025.com/