| authors | Rutgers, L.V.; Jong, A.F.M. de; Borg, K. van der; Poole, I.J. |
| source | Nature, Volume: 436 (2005), pp. 339-339 |
| full text | [Full text]
|
| document type | Article |
| disciplines | Letteren, Natuur- en sterrenkunde, Biologie |
| abstract | The famous catacombs of ancient Rome are huge underground cemeteries, of which two Jewish catacomb complexes of uncertain age and 60 early-Christian catacombs have survived1, 2, 3. Here we use radiocarbon dating to determine the age of wood originating from one of the Jewish catacombs and find that it pre-dates its Christian counterparts by at least 100 years. These results indicate that burial in Roman catacombs may not have begun as a strictly Christian practice, as is commonly believed1, 3, 4, but rather that its origin may lie in Jewish funerary customs. |
| keywords | Culturele activiteiten, Life sciences, Literary theory, analysis and criticism, Other biological specialities, Overig maatschappelijk onderzoek, Specialized histories (international relations, law) |
| ISSN | 0028-0836 |
