fumiarii

Fumiarii refers to a type of ancient Roman burial practice. The term derives from the Latin word "fumus," meaning smoke, and is associated with the incineration of the deceased. In the Roman world, cremation was a common and significant method of disposing of the dead, particularly from the late Republic period through the Imperial era.

The process of fumiarii involved placing the body on a pyre, often with personal belongings and offerings, and then igniting it. The ashes and bone fragments remaining after the fire were then collected. These remnants were typically placed in an urn, known as an olla or cinerarium, which was then interred in a tomb or burial plot. The practice was widespread, with variations in the rituals and materials used depending on social status and regional customs. While inhumation, or burial of the body, also existed, fumiarii represents a prominent and well-documented aspect of Roman funerary traditions. Evidence for fumiarii comes from archaeological findings of cremation sites, urns, and inscribed funerary monuments.