85

The necropolis known as the Gendarmerie was the main funerary space of Rotomagus (Rouen, Seine-Maritime), chief town of the Veliocasses during the Early Roman Empire. Known about since the eighteenth century thanks to archaeological remains, the site was the subject of rescue excavations in 1985 and 1987. A small collection of instrumentum was made from the artifacts identified in the tombs. Its study, a first, provides new elements for understanding the funerary practices current in the town at that time. The presence of remarkable pieces provides an opportunity to identify the social status of the deceased, but also to address the question of production and exchange networks, as well as some possible external cultural influences. Finally, the observations made on this site are put into perspective with data from other regional necropolises, in order to outline trends in funerary practices in the Seine estuary during the first centuries of our era.