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History => Ancient and Medieval History => Topic started by: Duncan Head on December 04, 2014, 11:29:14 AM

Title: Frankincense in Roman burials
Post by: Duncan Head on December 04, 2014, 11:29:14 AM
The next time you dispose of an unsuccessful general, remember to perfume him:

QuoteFrankincense, one of the precious gifts of the Magi in the Christmas story, has been discovered for the first time in high-status Roman burials from sites across Britain.

The sweet-smelling resin of the Boswellia sacra tree, still used today in church incense, was valued more highly than gold and was traded for millennia across the Mediterranean from the Arabian Peninsula and parts of Africa. It has been found in the silt in the lead coffins and stone sarcophagi from the most elaborate burials in the 3rd and early 4th centuries in Roman Britain.

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/dec/04/frankincense-found-roman-burial-sites-britain
Title: Re: Frankincense in Roman burials
Post by: Patrick Waterson on December 04, 2014, 02:33:20 PM
I shall put a drop of Eau de Cologne on him before he goes back in the box. :)

Ordinary troops just get a dollop of blu-tack.

Interesting how widespread the practice of using frankincense was - I always understood myrrh was traditional for this kind of thing.
Title: Re: Frankincense in Roman burials
Post by: rodge on December 04, 2014, 03:21:20 PM
(http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u26/scotsbrigade/Frank.jpg) (http://s164.photobucket.com/user/scotsbrigade/media/Frank.jpg.html)

Well it is nearly Christmas....
Title: Re: Frankincense in Roman burials
Post by: Justin Swanton on December 04, 2014, 07:50:59 PM
And to completely derail the thread (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsCoK-n10fw)...
Title: Re: Frankincense in Roman burials
Post by: Imperial Dave on December 04, 2014, 10:40:52 PM
class

although I do say this is somewhat mirth inducing too......  :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVS_zG4a1ag (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVS_zG4a1ag)