Roman cremation cemetery discovered in Hyères – History

A Roman cemetery dating from the 1st to 3rd century AD was discovered at Hyères in the Var department in southeastern France. The cemetery is located along the Roman coastal road outside the ancient city walls of Olbia and contains at least 160 crematoriums.

The city was founded in 325 BC on the site of a former Phoenician settlement in Olbia by the Greek Masilotes (inhabitants of ancient Marseille). It was established as a fortified port to provide shelter and military protection to Masari shipping. Massalia remained a sparsely populated fortress town until Julius Caesar captured it in 49 BC. Under Roman control, it separated from the mother colony and developed into a port town in its own right. The site was continuously inhabited until the 7th century AD, when severe flooding forced the residences to flee to higher ground.

When the tomb complex was commissioned, Olbia was part of the Roman colony of Arles. This was a typical Roman funerary custom of the time, and only cremation burials have been found there. They consist of pyres built over rectangular pits. The body of the deceased is placed on the pyre, surrounded by pottery and grave goods. The hot flames scorched the logs of the pyre, turned bones white and cracked, melted glass bottles and bronze objects, and everything collapsed into the pit.

After the cremation fire has stopped burning, unburned grave goods are sometimes added to the pit. At other times, the pits were emptied of grave goods and cremated remains were piled inside.

These tombs contain unburned items such as glass perfume bottles, vases, etc. A distinctive feature of Olbia is that above most tombstones there is a sacrificial passage, where liquid offerings (wine, beer, mead) were offered to commemorate the deceased or ensure their protection. In fact, perfumes, coins, lamps and libations could also be offered to the gods. Most of these makeshift channels were made with amphorae, evidence of Olbia’s maritime trade.

Liquor tunnels were placed in pits or installed on tile roofs over tombs to protect the remains. The pit was then filled up to the head of the deceased. The soil fill doubles as structural support for the new libation pipes, keeping the semicircular tiles vertical and facing each other.