The Seeing the Dead project blog presents short articles on the project's activities and research areas. Check back regularly to hear from our project team on progress and discoveries!
Blog
Archaeologists and scientists gathered for international workshop in York, April 2026
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The University of York and York Museums Trust hosted an international workshop Seeing the Dead. New Insights into Roman Gypsum Burials in Yorkshire in April 2026.
Discovery of Tyrian Purple Textiles in Roman Gypsum Burials in York
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A stunning discovery of Tyrian purple in the gypsum burials of Roman York sheds exciting light on the wealth and prestige of those employing such textiles in life and in death.
Analysis of chemicals associated with gypsum in Roman burial practices
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Discover how our 'Substances in and on textiles' work package examines the chemicals that remain on the textile fragments and are ingrained in the gypsum itself.
Investigating and interpreting archaeological textiles
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Textile expert Dr Sarah Hitchens explains how the Seeing the Dead project will investigate the fascinating textiles that can be seen preserved in Roman gypsum burials.
Children among the dead in York’s gypsum burials
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Prof. Maureen Carroll explores presence of children in the Roman gypsum burial casts examined by the Seeing the Dead project.
Fingerprints are a window into burial ritual in Roman York
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Remarkable hand marks provide a unique insight into Roman funerary rites and the close contact between the deceased and those that engaged with them at the time of burial.
Excavating a Roman gypsum burial
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We've begun work on one of the project's most intriguing burials - a surviving gypsum casing inside a Roman sarcophagus. Find out what we discovered during our initial investigations!
From Bone to Dietary History: Bone Collagen Extraction
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Come join us in the lab! This post explains why we extract the protein collagen from archaeological bones and shows you the steps our researchers use to prepare samples for stable isotope analysis.
3D scanning Roman gypsum casts
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See how the Roman gypsum casts will be captured as high-resolution digital models and how this will support the project's research going forward.
Tomb types chosen for the gypsum burial rite in York
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Project lead Maureen Carroll explores the various types of Roman burial that contain gypsum casts.
Mapping Roman gypsum burials in York and Yorkshire
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Find out about the location of the Roman gypsum burials in our Yorkshire study area, and what we hope to uncover about the geographical significance of this burial practice in the region.
Introducing the project
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The project investigates the remarkable Roman funerary custom in and around York in the 3rd/4th centuries CE of pouring liquid gypsum over the wrapped bodies of individuals in stone or lead coffins before burial. Find our more in this blog entry!