Emily Chan
Aside from the body, there were funerary offerings, such as pottery containing ointments and strigils, which were tools that ancient Romans used to clean away dirt, oil, and sweat from their skin before bathing.
It is believed that the tomb was originally built for the person in the sarcophagus because of how well taken care of the body was, coupled with the items that surround it. The team collected some samples to analyze.
“In recent months…laboratory analyses conducted on samples taken from the inhumations and the depositional beds have returned a considerable amount of data on the treatment of the deceased body and the funerary ritual carried out, significantly enriching the panorama of our knowledge,” stated Superintendent Mariano Nuzzo from the Italian Ministry of Culture.
Tests conducted on the bottles within the tomb revealed evidence of chenopodium, otherwise known as goosefoot and wormwood.
The plant was likely applied as creams to the corpse to prevent it from decomposing after death. The team is currently waiting on the results of the human DNA analysis.
