Remains of Fraternal Twin Babies Buried Face to Face Discovered, Challenged Past Assertions About Roman Burials

Human remains and burials can reveal a lot about a particular period. A recent finding in Croatia backed this assertion, stated Greek Reporter. Archaeologists discovered an ancient grave at the Dragulin cemetery near Tragurium. The details garnered from the grave gave them a lot of insights into the society of those times. Findings associated with the grave have been published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.

The grave contained the remains of twin babies and dates back to somewhere between the 1st and 2nd centuries A.D. The burial place possibly belonged to the Roman period, as per experts. Through their examination of the burial and remains, researchers gained a lot of understanding regarding the traditions and health conditions of those times.

The babies were found face to face against each other. This implied to researchers that the pair were buried together. Genetic testing revealed that the remains belonged to a set of fraternal twins, meaning that one of them was a boy while the other one was a girl. This fact made the finding unique, as archaeologists have not found many twin burials from the Roman period. How the infants were laid to rest also challenged past assertions regarding Roman burials. 

Tragurium, throughout its history, has been a Greek as well as a Roman settlement. In both cultures, infant burials differed significantly from adult burials. Before the finding, experts claimed that while the societies buried the adult in an organized manner, within structured cemeteries, the bodies of infants were often relegated to household areas or private spaces. This assertion did not align with what was uncovered in Tragurium. How the twins were buried implied that the whole process was conducted with a lot of care, possibly by the family of these infants. At the Dragulin cemetery site, archaeologists uncovered the remains of multiple infants, many of which were kept in clay jars, a popular practice in the Roman period. 

Seeing the age and condition of the remains, researchers claimed that the twins possibly died either of birth complications or an early life disease. Bioarchaeological analysis showcased that the infants suffered from several severe metabolic diseases like scurvy and rickets. A lack of nutrients causes these conditions. Experts believe that the twins were in this condition due to their mother's weakened state at the time of birth. The analysis also showed that children received their nutrients mainly from their mothers, either when they were in their wombs or through breastfeeding.

Further examinations revealed the diet consumed by their mother. The results showcased that the mother's food choices were typical for that period. She mainly lived on barley, wheat, and seafood. Though no examinations have confirmed it, researchers are not ruling out lead contamination as a reason behind the death of twins. A high level of lead was detected in items used during the Roman period. The quantity was enough to cause lead poisoning, which is fatal for fetuses. Hence, researchers have not rejected it as a possible factor.