Roman Infanticide?

At Yewden Villa in Buckinghamshire, England, archaeologists have found the skeletons of 97 newborn babies buried in a courtyard. All were buried at around 40 weeks gestational age, likely right after birth:

“There were 97 infant skeletons on the site. They were mostly buried in a yard area, although several were found in rubbish pits, two below the floor of a house and one placed in a wall cavity,” archaeologist Jill Eyers, director of Chiltern Archaeology, told Discovery News.

Measurements of the bones showed that all the babies died at around 40 weeks gestation, very soon after birth. The finds suggests “this may be an example of deliberate infanticide,” the Buckinghamshire County Council said in a statement.

“It would be normal to find infant burials within a Roman villa enclosure, but they would have an age range from premature births up to 2 years of age. After 2 years of age, they were deemed to be a 'full person' and were then buried in the cemetery,” Eyers said.

According to the researchers, the date these deaths occur spread out over just a 50 years, between 150 and 200. No apparent deformities were noted on the remains.

One possibility is that the newborns could have been the unwanted babies of prostitutes. The villa was occupied for several hundred years, and there is a theory that for part of that time, it may have been a brothel.

“Babies would be a common occurrence in this profession," said Eyers. "Most of them would not be wanted. There are other ideas we are considering though."

"It may may also have been a site for ritual or religious killing. A colleague has recently suggested a birthing center for a large working population in the surrounding area,” she added.