Roman tomb contained 'magical' nails to prevent the dead from rising.
Archaeologists have discovered 41 bent and twisted nails, lime, and brick near a Roman burial site in Turkey, which may have been used as charms to stop the restless dead from interfering with the living. The nails were likely used to pin the body of the mystery adult male to the tomb so that his spirit would be unable to rise. The unique burial rituals suggest that the nails were thought to "form a magical barrier surrounding the remains of the funeral pyre." The nails were expensive in Roman times and were often associated with magic and imbued with magical properties.