News from the mysterious Heuneburg: A burial chamber from the Upper Swabian site that was recovered in 2020 for investigation in the block has revealed its first secrets. It was probably the once richly furnished resting place of a woman of the Celtic upper class. This is indicated by more valuable jewelry, of which only traces have been found, because unfortunately the grave was once looted. Nevertheless, the ongoing research can provide important insights into the history and culture of the early Celts from the 7th to 5th centuries BC. The experts say.
On a plateau near the Danube in what is now Upper Swabia, there was once a monumental complex that is considered the oldest known urban complex north of the Alps: the so-called Heuneburg was built from 620 BC. Until the 5th century BC An early Celtic center and was probably the seat of a prince. Extensive investigations of the site have made the dimensions of the settlement clear in the last few decades. The fortified city was home to several thousand residents during its heyday. The importance of the place is also illustrated by some rich finds in the barrows in the vicinity of the Heuneburg.
Such a grave is now in focus again. In 2018, the State Office for the Preservation of Monuments (LAD) in the regional council of Stuttgart began investigating a large burial mound located in the Danube plain below the Heuneburg. It turned out that a professional uncovering of the remains of the three by five meter large burial chamber on site was not possible without risks. So the LAD decided to undertake an archaeological quick action: In October 2020, the entire burial chamber in the block was recovered and transported to the LAD laboratories in Ludwigsburg-Grünbühl for analysis. There, a team of experts was able to carry out examinations on the sensitive found material under optimal conditions. The LAD is now reporting the first results.
Remnants of splendid necklaces
The finds in the burial chamber, which was marked by water ingress, therefore show that it was originally a richly furnished resting place of a woman of the upper class. This is indicated by traces of jewelry additions, such as those used in women’s clothing from around 600 BC. Were typical, reports the LAD. Specifically, the archaeologists came across 15 filigree gold pearls, which probably once belonged to a sumptuous necklace. They also discovered an amber brooch. This piece thus also refers to long-distance relationships between the Celts from the Heuneburg to the Baltic Sea region.
The team also came across ceramics and a pig skeleton. These are apparently food and drink additions that were given to the dead on their way to the afterlife, the experts explain. Finds of bronze objects, which are probably the fittings of a four-wheeled cart, are of particular scientific value. The special thing about it is that initial investigations suggest that elements made of wood have also been preserved. Normally only the metal parts of early Celtic chariots have been found, according to the LAD.
Compare with the grave of the “Fürstin vom Bettelbühl”
But will the further uncovering of the burial chamber perhaps uncover treasures? Probably not, say the experts. Because the fact that no larger additions made of gold have been found so far suggests that the grave has been looted. Possibly this already happened in the time of the Celts. Only small objects have escaped this robbery. The scientific challenge for the research team is therefore to draw conclusions about the original equipment of the grave from these remains, writes the LAD.
Comparisons with a famous grave, which released treasures just 100 meters from the current location in 2010, can help: Archaeologists came across well-preserved gold, bronze and amber objects in the resting place of the “Fürstin vom Bettelbühl”. According to the archaeologists, characteristic similarities to the remains from the chamber grave currently under investigation are already emerging. The similarity of the finds and the immediate vicinity of the grave monuments could also be an indication that there was a social relationship between the two women: “It can be assumed that the graves were similarly richly endowed and that there were important personalities of one of the Heuneburg’s leading families were buried, ”writes the LAD. So it will be interesting to see what the team will find out in the course of further investigations.
Source: State Office for Monument Preservation in the Stuttgart Regional Council
Video: Development of the Heuneburg. (Source: denkmalpflegebawue)