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A recent study by Marta Fernández-Viejo and her colleagues from the laboratory of Human Evolution of the University of Burgos and University of León, in Childhood in the Past, examined the possible first-ever infant burial in a Roman military context discovered in the Iberian Peninsula.

The castrum of Legio VI Victrix was part of the earliest Roman occupation of the site, located in León, Spain. It was excavated in 2006 as part of emergency excavations being conducted at the sacristy of the Siervas de Jesús convent and on Francisco Regueral Street in León.

Legio VI Victrix was founded by Augustus in 41 BCE and deployed to Hispania Tarraconensis in 29 BCE. The camp was located at key passes which led through the Asturian mountains and near the confluence of the Bernesga and Torío rivers.

During the excavation of Sector 1, a perinatal burial was discovered, located near a doorway in a tegula (Roman roof tile) under the floor.

Tegulae for infant interments were not unusual, especially for perinatal burials, and are a well-established tradition in Roman funerary rites. However, infant burials in military contexts were unusual.

Typically, infants were buried either in domestic spaces, typically beneath the floor, near ovens and hearths, or within cemeteries. While some infant burials are known, notably at Hadrian's Wall forts, these were typically found in external cemeteries, in villas outside of the military forts, and in surrounding settlements (canabae).

The burial at Legio VI Victrix is unique for being located within the contubernium workshop, a space typically associated with the daily activities of lower-ranking soldiers.

To determine the cause of the infant's death as well as its possible purpose, the remains and burial context were analyzed by Marta Fernández-Viejo and her colleagues.

While no teeth were found, age estimations could be made based on the femoral length. This suggests the infant had been between 40.54 (38–42) weeks old when it died.

Interestingly, analysis of the skull (tympanic ring and sphenoid bones), the hip bone (pubis), and the base of the skull (pars basilaris of the occipital bone) indicates that the infant was incompletely developed relative to the estimated gestational age of 38–42 weeks.

This may indicate the infant experienced poor nutrition, illness, or stress during gestation.

Additionally, no signs of external physical trauma were observed on the infant, possibly indicating it was not the victim of infanticide. However, the researchers note that some external forces, such as smothering, drowning, and exposure, would not have left marks on the bones.

Based on radiocarbon dates of the remains, the infant had been buried around 47 BCE–61 CE. This coincides with reforms implemented by Augustus, which regulated the presence of women and children in legionary fortresses.

"The Augustan legislation relevant to military camps did not take the form of a single law, but rather a set of regulations and imperial practices. Under Augustus, Roman soldiers were officially prohibited from marrying during their term of service (Lex Julia et Papia), thus forbidding the formation of legitimate families within the army.

"As a result, the presence of wives and children in military camps was, in theory, strictly prohibited. Nevertheless, archaeological and documentary evidence from frontier provinces such as Britannia and Germania indicates that these laws were not strictly enforced.

"Artifacts and remains associated with women and children, such as footwear, personal items, and domestic objects, have been discovered within the boundaries of military forts and their vicinities (e.g., Vindolanda, Birdoswald Roman Fort)," explained Fernández-Viejo.

The researchers propose that the presence of an infant may indicate it lived during a transitional phase, as older customs allowing women and children within legionary fortresses persisted despite new laws. Or perhaps, the infant's presence may indicate a deliberate act to navigate the ambiguities of enforcement at the frontier of the empire.

In terms of its burial, the researchers suggest its placement may have to do with Roman beliefs about the spirits of the deceased, especially those who died prematurely or in infancy. According to these beliefs, these perinatals were especially powerful spirits capable of influencing the lives of the living.

It is possible that the infant was buried in the contubernium workshop to safeguard the workplace and ensure the success of the soldier's endeavors. Moreover, it is possible the infant formed part of a foundation burial.

Typically, these depositions of animal or human remains beneath new buildings would be done at the threshold or entrances, where the deposits could secure divine protection and mark the transition from a space of the profane to one of the sacred. These types of rituals in the Roman world are commonly linked together, and the perinatal burial presented at the same time reflects the duality of both beliefs.

Considering the infant was interred during the earliest stage of the site's use near a doorway, it is possible it served as a foundational burial.

The burial changes traditional assumptions about the strict separation of military and domestic and religious life in Roman legionary forces, while also suggesting that, despite Augustus's reforms, women and children may have remained present in such contexts at least during the initial transitional periods.

The infant burial provides new insights into the intersection of military life, family dynamics, and ritual practices at the frontiers of the Roman Empire.

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