Tombs and Burial Practices in Ancient Rome

FAIN: FT-249074-16

Dorian Borbonus
University of Dayton (Dayton, OH 45469-0001)

A book-length survey of tombs and funerary culture in Rome from 200 BCE to 200 CE.

This research project analyzes tomb monuments in Rome and its immediate surroundings during the period of Roman hegemony in the Mediterranean (200 BCE to 200 CE). It will result in the first historical monograph on the imperial capital that is based primarily on funerary culture, which provides an alternative to conventional histories that are oriented towards events, historical figures, or texts. In contrast, my project visualizes the continuous growth and consolidation of Rome’s empire and its effects on an urban population that lived and operated close to its center of power. This narrative relates to ongoing research in the Humanities by showing how the timeless human experience of mortality was translated into concrete cultural expressions in a specific historical context. I am seeking the support of a NEH summer stipend to carry out personal autopsy of Roman funerary monuments and consult photographic archives in Rome.