Early Christian Necropolis — A City of the Dead Beside the Roads
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Transcript
The early Christian cemetery near the Francolí contains thousands of burials dating mainly from the third to fifth centuries. Tomb types, inscriptions and grave goods reveal a society in which Christian practice expanded while Roman funerary traditions evolved rather than vanishing overnight.
Burial grounds lay outside the classical city boundary, often along major roads. Over time, graves clustered around places associated with martyrs and churches, creating new sacred geographies.
The necropolis therefore shows urban change from below. Imperial administration may dominate textbooks, but ordinary burial choices can reveal shifts in belief, family identity and community organization just as clearly.