Sagalassos discovery reveals Roman ritual using deformed iron

Archaeologists in the ancient city of Sagalassos, located in modern-day Turkey, have uncovered unique details of a 2nd-century AD funerary ritual. The discovery, published in the journal Antiquity, involves a cremation burial containing dozens of deliberately deformed iron objects.

Researchers identified 25 nails with heads removed and 16 pieces of iron that were intentionally bent or twisted. The arrangement of these artifacts around the funeral pyre suggests a ritual intended to control the fate of the deceased. Experts hypothesize that these deformed objects served as a symbolic barrier to prevent the soul from leaving the site.

In addition to the iron artifacts, the burial included a protective structure where the urn was sealed with 24 solid bricks and covered by a thick layer of lime to isolate the ashes.