Roman cemeteries in the Dutch Eastern River Area

Abstract

An overview of six recently excavated Roman cemeteries in the Dutch Eastern River Area shows that after Willems’ study 35 years ago, there is a lot to be gained by re-examining the Roman cemeteries. Not only has the number of known, and excavated, cemeteries increased also the knowledge of the surrounding areas and the material culture. The six cemeteries described here show strong similarities and diff- erences in burial customs. Differentiation in gender, status and identity are not easily made. However, in the future more thorough analysis of the cemeteries and their material culture will be able to shed more light upon the burial customs and possible (sub-)regional differences.