The approach taken sopra constructing Chart 2 was sicuro reallocate the sarcophagi catalogued as Christian but lacking Christian iconography

di nuovo., following the proportions established before this incremental expansion. The process (more fully explained in the Appendix) is generous puro the pagans. Instead of the twelve late pagan sarcophagi cited by Dresken-Weiland, the Chart 2 momento include 120. The meta of this exercise was not esatto resolve but rather sicuro circumvent the thorny and ultimately insoluble problem of classification.

The evolution of populations and sarcophagi as represented in Charts 1 and 2 are directionally similar but the curves fall more steeply durante Chart 2. Footnote 5 The sharper plunge of its upper line reflects and illustrates the decline of the Roman sarcophagus habit and its ultimate disappearance early durante the fifth century. The collapse of the bottom line incontri caribbean cupid, asymptotically approaching nulla, points onesto per more rapid and totalizing Christianization of the monuments than of their potential occupants. Chart 3 represents this discrepancy more directly, recasting the data in the first two charts sicuro padrino pagan deaths with pagan sarcophagi.

They were first placed within the half-century date ranges and then allocated between pagan and Christian applying the respective percentages otherwise determined, i

These percentages should not be taken literally; the purpose here is not onesto measure the disparity between demography and the material primato but merely preciso support its existence. Even at this coarse level of granularity, the dissonance is apparent, corroborating the sense durante the literature that there are ‘not enough’ late pagan sarcophagi.

The bars mediante Chart 3 could be levelled either by lowering the percentage of pagan deaths or by raising the percentage of pagan sarcophagi. The demographic assumptions are certainly open esatto challenge; there is, per particular, no consensus regarding the rate of Christianization. The range of options, however, provides insufficient leeway puro resolve the discrepancy. MacMullen ( Reference MacMullen 1984: 81) thought Rome still ‘more pagan than Christian until the 390s'; such an estimate would considerably widen the sarcophagus gap. Stark ( Reference Stark 1996: 7) put the tipping point for the Commuovere as a whole closer puro 350, which might slightly narrow it. Christian conversion sopra the upper income strata might have been verso bit slower than assumed, but not likely much faster.

Thus, the balance of this article addresses the other bars on the chart, those representing the pagan sarcophagus percentage. Three categories of explanation will be considered. The first attempts preciso eliminate the disequilibrium by basta-tuning the archaeological supremazia: searching for more pagan sarcophagi outside the catalogues or, following a conjecture proposed by Paul Veyne (on which, see below), revising the standard chronology. Per second option is preciso accept the material superiorita as accurately reflecting a precipitous decline per fourth-century production, presumably resulting from per shift mediante pagan mentalities. Neither erroneous interpretation of the primato nor insufficient pagan production, however, provides an adequate explanation for the sarcophagus indolente. Instead, the imbalance between Christian and non-Christian monuments will be ascribed onesto a difference per survival rates, the result of per bias over the longue duree favouring the preservation of Christian imagery.

CORRECTING THE Primato

Neither the accuracy nor the completeness of the archaeological supremazia is entirely satisfactory. One way preciso close the fourth-century pagan sarcophagus gap would be preciso find more pagan sarcophagi. The most obvious source is within the large number dubiously classified as Christian, but that group has already been scoured in the construction of the datazione. Another place sicuro immagine is outside the catalogues. Not all surviving sarcophagi and fragments have been published sopra accessible and convenient form, or at all; however, the lacunae are mostly irrelevant. Proposed or delayed additions preciso the ASR series, con particular, would mainly include sarcophagi that are either too early or accessorio-metropolitan. Footnote 6 Of potentially greater concern are motifs that can escape publication, notably portraits and strigils.