Christianity in the roman empire.

[Urselius]

From personal observation, I handled some of the bones, paganism or pagan practises probably took a long time to die out, or alternatively, become adopted into Christianity.

A burial of aborted foetuses and neonates was discovered in the 1990s in central Italy, dated to around 450AD. The burials had all occurred within a short time, probably the result of a Malaria epidemic (malaria has particularly marked effects on the placenta). Alongside the human remains were the remains of puppies. Dogs were noted as sacrifices to the underworld godess Hecate, and to godesses associated with childbirth.