Malaria, Witchcraft, Infant Cemeteries and the Fall of Rome

This lecture examines evidence from an ancient Roman infant cemetery recently discovered at Lugnano in Teverina (Umbria). The cemetery contained forty-eight bodies. DNA testing techniques recently developed by Robert Sallares of the University of Manchester have revealed that the bodies contain evidence of an epidemic of plasmodium falciparum malaria. The cemetery also offers evidence of witchcraft and puppy sacrifice ca. A.D. 450. Circumstantial and physical evidence suggest that the area of Umbria / Tuscany may have become a malarial zone contributing to the fall of Rome.
David Soren is Regents Professor of Classics at the University of Arizona, and Director of the Orvieto Institute in Umbria. He holds a B.A. in Greek & Roman Studies from Dartmouth, and an M.A. in Fine Arts and a Ph.D. in Archaeology from Harvard. He has done extensive field work in Cyprus, Italy, Portugal, and Tunisia, and has received numerous honors and awards for his work.

This is the annual Sandra Church Lecture. The Santa Barbara Society of the Archaeological Institute of America gratefully acknowledges the support of Sandra Church in making this lecture possible.

If you wish to attend this lecture and need special assistance due to a disability please call (805) 893-3556.

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