Differential burial treatment of newborn infants from late roman age. Children and dogs depositions at Peltuinum

The Authors present and discuss the findings of an unusual case of burial of humans and dogs from Peltuinum (Abruzzo, Italy, Late Roman Empire). Four wells of the ancient theater of the city yielded bones attributed to 85 fetuses and newborns, associated with hundreds of faunal remains, mainly dogs of different ages (adults, puppies and fetuses). As for the dogs, there is some suggestion of their sacrifice for ritual purposes related to the death of infants. The symbolic value of water as a vector to the prenatal life or deities drives the choice to bury the bodies in underground environments. It can therefore be assumed that the disused wells of the theater have been considered the most suitable place for infants burial in a rural area. Thus, the particularity of the deposition and the high concentration of perinatal deaths, are likely connected to cultural practices, involving a differential treatment of infants, in association with an high risk of mortality at birth