Archaeologists report an unusual grave find in Middle Franconia: In the early Middle Ages, a woman with a foldable stool was buried there. So far, there have only been a few examples of this type of burial object, and the material in particular makes the find an exceptional specimen: the frame of the chair was made of iron. As the experts explain, such foldable stools have been regarded as extremely dignified seating since ancient times. Other burial objects also seem to indicate that the dead woman was a woman of high status.
The small town of Endsee in the district of Ansbach is known to have a history that goes back to the early Middle Ages. Therefore, a planned construction project there called a team from the Bavarian State Office for the Preservation of Monuments (BlfD) to the scene. In the course of their investigations, the archaeologists actually came across traces of the past: they discovered the grave of a woman and a man in an almost parallel arrangement and west-east alignment.
A “special gift” in the woman’s grave
In addition to his waist belt with bronze buckle and belt pouch, the man had been given a complete set of weapons – spear, shield and spade. In the woman’s grave, on the other hand, the archaeologists came across a much more unusual addition, reports the BlfD: the contours of an iron structure became apparent, which ultimately turned out to be the frame of an approximately 70 by 45 centimeter folding chair. Its seat was apparently made of leather or fabric. The experts dated this find to around 600 AD – the era in which late antiquity transitioned into the early Middle Ages.
“This find, which at first glance seems so modern, is an absolute rarity,” says BlfD director Mathias Pfeil. Finds like this are referred to in research as “special gifts”. So far, folding chairs have been discovered in 29 early medieval graves across Europe, but only six of them were made of iron. “It is the second find of an iron folding chair from the early Middle Ages in Germany. He is therefore of the highest cultural-historical In
interest, because it gives an insight into the burial equipment of prominent sections of the population and into the early use of furniture,” says Pfeil.
Who was the dead?
As the BlfD writes, the special grave goods indicate that the deceased was of high social rank. Because what is more associated today with camping and a less representative environment was once a “sublime” seat: Since Roman antiquity, folding chairs have been seen as a sign of authority, power and dignity. However, it remains unclear who the deceased woman was. According to the first anthropological assessment, she was about 40 to 50 years old. Around her neck she wore a pearl necklace made of small multicolored glass beads. There was a pendant on her belt, which included an element set with the red gemstone almandine and a so-called millefiori pearl. In addition to the folding chair, the deceased was also given a spindle whorl and apparently a piece of meat, evidenced by an animal bone.
As the BlfD finally reports, the folding chair, which was salvaged as a block, is now to be gradually uncovered by experts in restoration workshops. The team hopes that possible decorations will still be revealed. X-rays could also provide further information about the nature of the approximately 1400-year-old chair.
Source: Bavarian State Office for the Preservation of Monuments