Post by Graveyardbride on Jul 30, 2019 10:36:41 GMT -5
Celtic Woman Buried in ‘Tree Coffin’
In approximately 200 BC, a woman of the Celts was dressed to the nines, adorned with precious jewelry and buried in a “tree coffin.” At the time of death, she was approximately 40-years-old and, according to the Office for Urban Development in Zurich, the burial “draws a fairly accurate picture of the deceased.” Archaeologists who have studied the corpse indicate the lady had likely performed physical labor during her lifetime and her teeth suggest a diet of starchy or sweetened food.
The coffin itself is also remarkable: A hollowed-out tree trunk with bark on the exterior.
The remains were originally discovered in March 2017 during a construction project at the Kern school complex in Aussersihl, Switzerland, a district of Zurich. Since then, an interdisciplinary examination has revealed a lot about the woman’s life. For example, according to an isotope analysis, she grew up in what is now Zurich, likely in Limmat Valley.
The woman’s clothing consisted of layers of clothing and based on the textiles, fur and leather scraps preserved in the coffin, a specialist determined she “wore probably a dress made of fine sheep’s wool ... another woolen cloth and a coat of sheepskin.”
Her jewelry is particularly impressive, consisting of a necklace of blue and yellow glass and amber beads with a garment clasp at both ends so she could fasten them to her garments, bronze bracelets, and a delicate bronze chain with hanging pendants. Her items of clothing were held together with several iron clasps.
Her grave was approximately 260 feet from that of a Celtic man unearthed in 1903 during construction of the school’s gymnasium. A sword, shield and lance were among the grave goods discovered in his resting place. A release at the time read: “His full warrior outfit also identifies him as a higher-level personality.”
Because these two individuals were buried in the same decade, it is possible they knew each other, archaeologists said.
Researchers continue unearthing secrets about the Celts. Earlier this year, archaeologists found in excess of 100 fragmented human skulls buried in an open area of Le Cailar, France, a 2,500- year–old town on the Rhone River. The skulls, which were discovered among ancient weapons in the walled village, date to the 3rd century BC when Le Cailar was a Celtic settlement. There are cuts in the skulls, indicating decapitation, as well as tongue and brain removal – signs they may have been on display until the area was covered in soil around 200 BC.
Though the Celts are primarily associated with the United Kingdom, they actually inhabited lands in continental Europe as far east as modern-day Turkey.
Sources: Chris Ciaccia, Fox News, July 30, 2019, and Laura Geggel, LiveScience, July 30, 2019.