Leonard V. Rutgers

Radiocarbon Dates from the Jewish Catacombs of Rome

This paper reports on the first chronological assessment of the Jewish Catacombs of the ancient Rome per- formed by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) dating of small-size charcoal fragments scattered in the mortar used for seal- ing off the graves in the Villa Torlonia Catacomb complex. The significance of the obtained 14C readings has been carefully evaluated by taking into consideration the known technologies of quicklime production during Roman and recent times. The new data are of great concern for providing evidence that the Jewish catacombs were used for burial since the first century AD, thus some two centuries prior to the period traditionally believed to be the starting point of burial in the Jewish catacombs of ancient Rome. Such a significant aging of the Jewish catacombs could result in a deep re-examination of the current under- standing of the beginning and the evolution of the custom of catacomb burial in both Jewish and early Christian communities in Rome.

Sul problema di come datare le catacombe ebraiche di Roma

Dating catacombs precisely is an issue that has not been resolved satisfactorily until now. In this article we propose an entirely new way of tackling this issue, namely through radiocarbon dating. In addition to presenting the final results of our efforts, we also explore some of the interpretational difficulties that beset a proper evalution of the data. We conclude that this new approach has far reaching ramifications for the study of both the Jewish and the early Christian catacombs of Rome. 1

Further Radiocarbon Dates from the Catacombs of St. Callixtus in Rome

This paper reports a further chronological assessment of the Christian catacombs of Rome by radiocarbon-dated organic materials in the so-called Liberian region of the catacombs of St. Callixtus on the Appian Way. 14C dates of various types of organic material are discussed and related to ages derived from numismatic evidence and epigraphic remains. The results show that this area of the catacombs of St. Callixtus is older than assumed by previous scholarship. We therefore conclude that the appellation Liberian region is a misnomer.

Radiocarbon dates from the catacombs of St. Callixtus in rome

This paper reports the first chronological assessment of the Christian catacombs of Rome by radiocarbon dating. The organic materials dated were found in a set of burial rooms in the so-called Liberian region of the catacombs of St. Callixtus on the Appian Way. 14C dating of small samples by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) represents a major advance over traditional archaeological dating methods used in catacomb archaeology; however, AMS 14C dating raises questions about sample reliability and chronological evaluation. We briefly explore these questions.

Radiocarbon Dating of Several Ancient Jewish Oil Lamps from Rome

In this paper, we discuss how the radiocarbon dating of soot on oil lamps can help determine the chronology of the Jewish catacombs of Rome. We also explore the ramifications of our work for the typological study of Roman period terracotta lamps.