Nemasus Cemetery

Located approximately XII Roman miles west of Nemasus, the Nemasus Cemetery is the final resting place of the town's deceased citizens. The cemetery is located among the rolling hills and fields of the southern spur of the Occasis Hills, and features both above-ground and underground forms of interment. There are three types of tombs in this cemetery. The paupers are buried in common tombs, which hold the deceased of many families in a collective area. These tombs contain a series of long corridors, each with nooks along the wall to hold the coffins of the dead. For plebeians, who have more wealth, individual tombs the size of a small cottage are built, usually of brick or stone, with 1-2 stories above the ground, and a "basement" area for holding the family's dead. Upper floors are used for funeral rites and for feasts honoring the dead. Finally, for the small number of patrician families, large cave networks are worked into corridors and chambers which contain all the member of the family, as well as feasting and meditation/prayer areas.

Purpose / Function

This is a place for the burial and reverence of the dead. Bodies are buried here in tombs, but also, living family members come here to honor the dead. Activities include prayer, leaving of votive offerings, and feasting. Feasting occurs at certain times of the year, such as anniversaries of death or birth, or during the winter month of Frebruarius, which is a month of honoring the dead.