Mystery Of ‘Feminine’ Skeleton Found In The Royal Celtic Tomb

Archeologists didn’t know what to make of the remains of an ancient Celtic prince or princess that were found in a tomb with a lot of money, a solid gold torque, and some very nice bracelets.

In the Lavau district, near Troyes, there is a 2500-year-old royal grave that is thought to have been used by a Celtic royal family in the fifth century BC.

The skeleton was put to rest in the middle of the tomb in an elaborate two-wheeled chariot with a 580 g (1.2 lb) golden tour decorated with intricate winged monsters on the neck. Two gold bracelets were also on the skeleton’s wrists, and a jet bracelet was wrapped around the left bicep.

Still, a sword was found in the grave, which suggested that the person might have been a warrior of some kind. The body also had finely carved Greek vases and a huge, three-foot-tall bronze chaudron from Etruria.

The French archeologists who did the digging still don’t know the gender of the person in the grave, but they think it could have been a Celtic prince or princess from Lavau. The strange collection of papers found next to the body adds to the mystery of who they belonged to.

Several tombs of princesses from the fifth century BC have been found in north-east France. The Lady of Vix’s tomb was found in 1953 in northern Burgundy.

Archaeologists called the new tomb a “exceptional find” that was similar to a tomb found in Reinheim, Germany.

Bastien Dubuis, who was in charge of the dig, said, “A princely tomb from this time period would usually have a chariot, a cauldron, and bronze dishes.”

“They are known to have been used in funerals and as status symbols. They were used for religious ceremonies and to show how powerful the elite were.

The tomb was first found in October 2014, and the public found out about it in March 2015. After more digging, experts have now shared more information about the treasures inside the tomb.

In a statement put out by the National Archaeological Research Institute of France (INRAP), it said, “The deceased is resting with its two-wheeled chariot in the middle of the tomb at the south end.”

“The prince is wearing all of his jewelry.” It has a solid gold torque that is even heavier than the rigid collar of the Princess of Vix.

“On his wrists, he wore a gold bracelet, and on his left bicep, he wore an armband made of jet fuel. This furniture looks like the furniture in the tomb of Reinheim, which is in Germany.

It has a beautiful pattern of a monster with two wings on it. Archaeologists found several amber beads that were carefully made into a necklace or hair ornaments.

The grave goods in the tomb are worthy of the most wealthy Hallstatt elites. The Hallstatt Celts were a culture from the early Iron Age that spread across most of northern Europe.

INRAP said, “However, because the bones are not in good shape, it is not yet possible to say for sure what kind of person they were.”

Because the skeleton was slightly on its side in the tomb, archaeologists have not been able to look at the pelvis without hurting the bones.

Even the archaeologists who are working on the dig have different ideas about the sex of the bones. They say that some of the things found in the grave, like the chariot, have a very manly feel to them, but the skeleton itself looks more like a woman.

INRAP said that it looked like the prince or princess was buried in their best clothes, which could have been a costume they wore to special events or parties.