Glass cinerary urn filled with broken bones, Roman, Western European, 101 to 230 AD

Glass cinerary urn, Roman, Western European, 101 to 230 AD. Cremation was the standard form of burial in the first century AD, with pottery and glass vessels for poorer burials, and marble cinerary urns (containers for cremated remains) for the wealthy. Urns often took the form of miniature shrines and were normally placed in niches in family vaults or tombs. They were often lavishly decorated with wreaths and garlands, flowers, birds and animals.