The earthquake casualties from Heraclea Sintica – buried under debris of the portico of the Roman forum

Abstract

During excavations in the southwestern corner of the Roman forum of Heraclea Sintica, archaeologists investigated a massive layer of debris from an earthquake dated to the end of the fourth century CE. After removing the layer, they revealed two brick vaulted cisterns. The southern one had a partially collapsed vault, and in the ruins of the destroyed structure, the human skeletal remains of six individuals were discovered. Five of the skeletons (2N, 3N, 1S, 2S and 3S) were partially preserved in anatomical position on top of the debris from the brick vault, and skeleton 2N was the most intact. Only the lower half of skeletons 1S, 2S, and 3S survived. Their upper halves are missing, probably due to decomposition. Skeleton 1N was discovered on the uppermost position, in anatomical order over a layer of dirt and debris separating it from the other skeletons. The individual could have been standing on above-situated structure.

The discovery of the skeletal remains in a sealed archaeological deposit enables a hypothetical reconstruction of the order of events that led to the formation of the excavated structure as well as the final moments of these earthquake victims. Anthropological analysis revealed a number of traumas, some of which caused by the architectural collapse. Documented pathological changes attest to an individual with physical and mental impairments possibly due to a rare congenital disorder, i.e. Apert syndrome who had a place in Heraclea Sintica during the Roman period.