Few people know, that walking in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona, You can visit the ancient Roman cemetery. It is located directly under the open sky in a small area around the corner from Las Ramblas. Tomb of the Roman necropolis date from the first century AD, They were located on the roadside behind the ramparts, as in ancient times it was not allowed to perform the burial within the city. In this way, Romans formed a tradition to bury along the roads leading to the city walls.
In our 1936 it was discovered around here 70 ancient tombs, and from I to III century AD. The main type of tombstones in this necropolis called "kupa novel". Usually, they were lower class tombstones. All kupah done a round hole "feeding" the dead. This ceremony is called "profusio". In the days of worship of the dead had to go to the cemetery and to feed the dead relatives through the hole, that the dead are not wandered and did not frighten the living. Under the hole inside the clumps were placed vessels for food and drink.
Near the graves grow roses and rosemary, these ritual plants and in our time in the abundance of plant in the Spanish cemeteries. Researchers-arheobotanika carefully studied the remains of pollen, seeds and charred wood and announced the list of, that grew in the graveyard in those ancient times. These were evergreen oaks, pine, olive, and you, hazel and juniper, arbutus, rosemary, oleandr, heather, Ephedra and cistus.
When you open a small museum necropolis, which displays objects, excavated, as well as available information about the various funeral rituals of the ancient Romans and the territorial organization Barsino.
