Isola Sacra Necropolis
Necropolis of Portus
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 Shown within Lazio
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| Alternate name | Necropoli di Porto |
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| Location | Comune di Fiumicino, Lazio, Italy |
| Region | Lazio |
| Coordinates | 41°45′N 12°15′E / 41.750°N 12.250°ECoordinates: 41°45′N 12°15′E / 41.750°N 12.250°E |
| Type | Necropolis |
| History | |
| Founded | first century AD |
| Abandoned | sixth century AD |
| Periods | Roman Republic Roman empire |
| Cultures | Ancient Rome |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | yes |
| Archaeologists | Guido Calza |
| Management | Soprintendenza Speciale per i Beni Archeologici di Roma |
| Public access | yes |
| Website | Necropoli di Porto (Italian) |
The Isola Sacra Necropolis was the first large-scale pagan cemetery of Roman Imperial times to be excavated. The excavator-in-chief of most of Isola Sacra was Guido Calza. The necropolis was found on the manmade island of Isola Sacra, which lies between the cities of Portus and Ostia Antica, a region just south of Rome. The emperor Trajan was in power when this artificial island was created. Much of the excavated necropolis flanked the Via Severiana, which ran through Isola Sacra and traveled southeast from Ostica to Terracina.
The cemetery was extensive, and was comparable to Etruscan cemeteries and Christian catacombs. Although some tombs were constructed for the very poor, the majority of burials were built by the middle class bourgeoisie of the area. Since the burial grounds were constructed during the 2nd century and first half of the 3rd century, a historical transition is seen in the necropolis from the pagan practice of cremation to inhumation.
The necropolis also provides insight into the history of Roman Imperial Art, as paintings, mosaics, and sculptures come from 3 different imperial reigns: Hadrian, the Antonines, and the Severan Dynasty. By the first half of the 4th century, the Necropolis was abandoned, and by the 6th century, the burial grounds were covered with sand. The original inscriptions, found on marble slabs, provide information regarding the occupations of those whom the cemetery accommodated. The Necropolis housed generally humble professionals, including shopkeepers, traders, workmen, shipowners, and porters. Families, however, built very elaborate burial homes for their dead relatives despite their humble backgrounds.
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Wikipedia