"Lavish" Celtic Tomb Uncovered in France

From The International Business Times.  More images of the site can be found at the link below.

France: Lavish 2,500-year-old Celtic prince's tomb unearthed is 'extraordinary' discovery

By Umberto Bacchi

March 5, 2015 15:42 GMT

French archaeologists have found what they say is the "extraordinary" tomb of a Celtic prince who lived some 2,500 years ago.

The burial site, which at 40m (130ft) of diameter is one of the largest from its period ever to be unearthed, was discovered in an industrial area near Troyes, about 150km south east of Paris.

Credit:  Dennis Gliksman, Inrap

A team with National Archaeological Research Institute (Inrap) that has been working on the site since October said it contained a remarkable amount of artefacts, some believed to be of ancient Greek and Etruscan origins.

The discovery was lauded by France's Prime Minister Manuel Valls, who tweeted his congratulations to Inrap.

The archaeologists said the number and value of riches interred with the deceased, who lays with his chariot at the centre of the burial mound, suggest he was a high ranked aristocrat from the so-called Hallstatt culture that dominated central Europe during the Early Iron Age.

"The tomb contains mortuary deposits of sumptuousness worth that of the top Hallstatt elites," Inrap said.

Those include a bronze wine cauldron decorated with relieves of Greek gods and Lions, and an amphora in ceramic adorned with images of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine.

"The period between the late 6th Century and the beginning of the 5th Century BC was characterised by the economic development of Greek and Etruscan city-states in the West, in particularly Marseille," Inrap explained.

"Mediterranean traders come into contact with the continental Celtic communities as they searched for slaves, metals and precious goods (including amber)."

Thracian Woman's Tomb Reveals Unique Treasures

Bulgarian Archeologists Dig Up Unique Thracian Treasure
September 12, 2011, Monday

A Bulgarian archeological team discovered unique ornaments from the chariot of a wealthy Thracian woman, which are in the form of eagle heads. Photo by 24 Chassa.

The archeological team, led by Daniela Agre, has discovered a treasure during digs at a Thracian mound near the southern village of Borisovo, in the vicinity of the town of Elhovo.

The precious items were placed in the tomb of a wealthy Thracian woman and are from the end of the 1st – beginning of the 2nd century AD, the Bulgarian 24 Chassa (24 Hours) daily.

They include a set of luxury bronze dishes, a large round plate and a caldron, all decorated with ivy leaves. There is also a vessel, looking like a small bucket with a lid, which the archeologists say has no analogue in finds in Bulgaria, and a bronze box for toiletries with incrusted bronze busts of satyrs.

The team, however, is the most enthusiastic about another discovery, according to 24 Chassa – a set of ornaments from the chariot of the buried woman. Illegal treasure hunters have dug and nearly destroyed the chariot, but were unable to find the ornaments, which had, actually, been their goal.

"This happened because before the funeral the ornaments had been removed and hidden. The ancient people obviously knew that even then the tombs faced the danger of being robbed. This is why we have this precious find today," Agre is quoted saying.
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The ornaments include four eagles whose wings transform into dragon heads.

Near the tomb, the team also found a large square table where the Thracians placed food for the deceased as part of the burial ceremony – Agre says this is also an exceptional discovery because it is evidence this had been a tomb from Roman Thrace.

In 2008, the same team discovered in the southeastern village of Borilovo, in the Strandzha Mountain, an early Thracian tomb from the 4th century B.C., evaluated as an unheard of for this period expensive structure.

Horse and Chariot Burial in Luoyang, China

Only this photo with this rather uninformative article, but it's a good photo.

Tariq Tahir
September 1, 2011

Remains of horses and chariots found in 3,000-year-old tomb in China

Lying side by side, these horses have drawn a chariot in an ancient tomb for the past 3,000 years, which was recently discovered

The equine bones, found in the Chinese city of Luoyang, have remained undisturbed since the early Western Zhou dynasty.

Archaeologists believe the 12 horses lying on their sides show the animals were slaughtered before burial, not buried alive.

As well as the horses and five chariots, bronzes and ceramics have escaped the clutches of history’s grave robbers.
Archaeologists are convinced that the perfectly preserved tomb belongs to an official or a scholar of standing, given the pottery, metal weaponry and inscriptions.

The tomb, a vertical earthen pit, has excited historians since it was discovered during the construction of a hospital. It gives an unprecedented insight into the funeral customs in the early Western Zhou dynasty.
It was the time of the great Chinese philosophers of ancient times, including Confucius.
The latest find is reminiscent of the famous terracotta army of thousands of preserved soldiers, which was discovered in 1974 in the Lintong district. It had also remained undisturbed for thousands of years.

[Can't help but wonder how much has been looted out of it since its discovery?]

Rare Bamboo Strip Books and Chariot Burial Recovered from Chinese Tomb

Explorers find rare ancient books By Lin Shujuan (China Daily)Updated: 2010-01-23 08:37 Excited archaeologists hope the discovery of rare bamboo-strip books will reveal the owner of an ancient tomb being excavated in Hubei province. Work to uncover the tomb in Yancang, a village near Jingmen, began on Jan 17 and experts believe the site dates back to the Warring States Period (475 BC to 221 BC). "We cannot tell how many we've got and we have no idea what's written on them, but the discovery of bamboo strips itself is exciting," Shen Haining, director of the provincial cultural heritage bureau, told China Daily. Archaeologists will have to wait until excavation of the tomb is completed next week to attempt to read the strips, he said. "Sorting out those bamboo strips is like sorting out well-cooked noodles, you have to be really careful so as not to damage them." There is a possibility the strips contain an introduction written by the owner of the tomb, "like a letter of recommendation the deceased would carry with them to the underworld to give Yanluo, the god of death", Shen said. Ancient Chinese believed Yanluo was not only the ruler but also the judge of the underworld. Hence the deceased would bury with them an introduction letter detailing their good deeds and achievements during their life to guarantee a better afterlife. "It is still too early to tell, let's wait and see. Archaeology is all about surprise," he said. Archaeologists initially suspected the tomb belonged to a ministerial-level military officer of Chu, then-ruling state of Hubei province. In addition to the books, the excavation has also uncovered a copper weapon inscribed with the year of manufacture - 384 BC - and a chariot pulled by four horses. According to historical archives, only officials at ministerial level traveled in chariots pulled by four horses, said Meng Huaping, deputy director of the provincial archaeological institute, which is leading the excavation. In other chambers, archaeologists have found another five chariots and 10 horses, all arranged around a flagpole as if prepared for a battle. Bamboo-strip books are the best materials to study the earliest Chinese manuscripts because Emperor Qin Shihuang ordered most documents to be destroyed after he united China in 221 BC. The emperor ordered all books except those about the Qin dynasty's history and culture, divination and medicines to be burned. "As the historical documents about the early part of China's history that have been passed down are very rare, bamboo strips today are very valuable," Shen said. The discovery in 1993 of almost 800 bamboo strips dating back to the Warring States Period in a tomb in Hubei was an international sensation as they contained the complete pre-Qin transcription of Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, a philosopher in the Spring and Autumn Period (770 BC to 476 BC) and founder of the Taoist school of thought.

Plans to Display Karanovo Thracian Finds

Story at Novinite Bulgaria Archaeologists Present Unique Thracian Tomb Finds November 17, 2009 A team of Bulgarian archaeologists led by Veselin Ignatov formally presented Tuesday their finds from the tomb of an aristocrat from Ancient Thrace near the southern town of Nova Zagora. In October and November 2009, Ignatov’s team found a burial tomb of dated back to the end of 1st century and beginning of 2nd century AD, located outside of the village of Karanovo, in southern Bulgaria. The finds at the lavish Thracian tomb include gold rings, silver cups and vessels coated with gold and clay vessels. Those include two silver cups with images of love god Eros, and a number of other ornate silver and bronze vessels. According to Ignatov, the finds are sufficiently varying and rich to be used for the forming of a small museum dedicated to provincial Roman-era art. The aristocrat belonged to a rich family descended from the ruling strata in the Odrysian Kingdom (5-3rd century BC). The previously unknown tomb was discovered after in 2008 the archaeologists started to research area damaged by treasure hunters, and found a Thracian chariot at a nearby spot. The archaeologists from the Nova Zagora History Museum are going to continue their exploration of the Thracian tomb on the spot even during the coming winter months after a special shelter is built on the site. Ignatov said a total of six two-wheel and four-wheel chariots have been discovered in the region, and that he had the idea of creating a center for the study of ancient chariots in Nova Zagora.

Another Thracian Tomb with Chariot Discovered

From Novinite.com (Some of the vessels uncovered in the new Thracian tomb by the team of archaeologist Veselin Ignatov near Karanova. Photo by Bulphoto) Bulgarian Archaeologists Find Silver Treasure in Thracian Tomb Archaeology November 3, 2009, Tuesday A team of Bulgarian archaeologists have discovered a new tomb of an aristocrat from Ancient Thrace near the southern town of Nova Zagora. The team led by archaeologist Veselin Ignatov found a burial tomb of 12 square meters date back to the end of 1st century and beginning of 2nd century AD. It is located outside of the village of Karanovo. The burial site of the Thracian aristocrat contains a number of interesting items including a silver treasure of vessels and artifacts that were place there to be used by the aristocrat in his afterlife. Those include two silver cups with images of love god Eros, and a number of other ornate silver and bronze vessels. The archaeologists have also found a chariot and fragments of a shield. The expedition called Karanovo 2009-2010 has just started to uncover their new find, and Ignatov expects a lot more valuable items to be discovered. The archaeologists from the Nova Zagora History Museum are going to continue their exploration of the Thracian tomb on the spot even during the coming winter months after a special shelter is built on the site.

Eastern Zhou Horse/Chariot Burial

From cctv.com Chariot and horse burial chamber excavated in Henan Source: CRI 02-19-2009 08:52 The excavation of some Eastern Zhou period tombs that had ancient chariots and horses buried underground has been completed, an official from Luoyang's cultural relics office told Dahe Daily on Tuesday. This is another latest uncover of ancient tombs following similar discoveries in surrounding areas in 2002. The excavation site contains 29 tombs, including two imperial wooden chariots and two dead horses. Field work for this excavation began in August 2008 and took archaeologists three months to finish. Many artifacts such as pottery, bronze weapons and jade were found despite the fact that most of the tombs had already been plundered by grave robbers. The horses, laying back to back in an orderly arrangement, were evidently killed before the burial. The two wooden chariots had rotted away, leaving only dusts. According to local archaeologists, this is also the first time a burial chamber with two horses and two chariots has been discovered in the Luoyang region. The chamber is located beneath a restaurant undergoing renovation. The restaurant, Luoyang Jujia, plans to encase the burial chamber in an underground culinary museum.

Ancient Chariot Burial in China

(Photo from article below - shows parts of a chariot and the remains of two horses) I'm always interested in news of chariot burials. The 'ruhkh' piece (in middle Persian) was a chariot; the 'shah ruhkh' was the King's Champion, originally the most powerful piece on the chessboard. The King's Champion is the stuff of legend in ancient Persian tales of valor and battle. Today, the name of the 'ruhkh' lives on in western chess as the "rook" - although the piece was converted to a tower or "castle" in western terminology; and in northern India and Pakistan many men are named after the 'shah ruhkh' including famous Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan. As far as I am aware, popular theory today says that the ancient Chinese independently came up with the invention of the wheel, the spoked wheel and the war chariot. (Not sure of the dating on this.) From my own reading and research I know that the eight-spoked wheel war chariot was first invented in what is now modern Armenia around 1800 BCE and spread quickly across the lands. (It was the expertise of the Hyksos with war chariots and horse teams that led to the defeat of part of the Egyptian empire and the rule of Egyptianized Hyksos kings for about 200 years, starting around 1650 BCE). It is usually war chariots and the specially bred and trained horses who pulled those war chariots that are buried with the bodies of elite warriors, priestesses, kings and queens, that have been excavated, no matter in what region of the world. The size of this discovery is simply - staggering! Article from china.org.cn Tomb fit for Chu king, archaeologists agree Chinese archaeologists have reached a consensus that the master of a tomb dating back 2,400 years, was a king of the State of Chu in the Warring States Period (475 to 221 BC). "The tomb is the largest and best preserved found to date from the State of Chu in the Warring States Period," Liu Binhui, an expert in Chu culture with the Hunan provincial museum, who had carried out research in Jingzhou for more than 20 years before transferring to Hunan, said. The tomb has a 131-m-long horse and chariot chamber, the longest ever found from the period, the Wuhan Evening News reported yesterday. Excavation of the chamber is about half complete, with 43 chariots and more than 100 horses unearthed, Liu said. "Three chariots were equipped with six horses," he said. "That reflects the rank of the tomb's owner. Only kings were allowed to drive chariots with six horses during the Warring States Period." The consensus came at an archaeological forum dedicated to the discussion of the tomb's occupant on Wednesday after more than two years of excavation from the tomb compound, which is located in Jingzhou, Hubei province. "All of the evidence leads to the conclusion that the tomb belongs to a king of the State of Chu," Liu said. Meanwhile, archaeologists have also found 92 graves that might have been for people buried with the dead, a custom of the State of Chu, he said. Since its discovery in 1979, archaeologists have identified the main mound, about 100 ancillary tomb tumuli, more than 30 horse and chariot pits arranged in a row and a surrounding ditch. Formal excavation started in August 2006, he said. Ever since its discovery, archaeologists have shown great interested in the occupant of the tomb, which covers an area of 60,000 sq m. More than 1,300 jade items were put on display in Jingzhou in September last year, the largest exhibition of jade articles in China. Xu Wenwu, a professor with the Changjiang University, made an even bolder assumption. "The great probability is that the tomb is of King Zhao of Chu, named Xiong Zhen, who was the last king of the state," he said. In all, 11 kings ruled Chu.

Another Thracian Chariot Uncovered

From AP Bulgarian archaeologists discover ancient chariot 10 hours ago SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Archaeologists have unearthed a well-preserved 1,800-year-old bronze chariot at an ancient Thracian tomb in southeastern Bulgaria, the head of the excavation said Friday. "The lavishly ornamented four-wheel chariot dates back to the end of the second century A.D.," Veselin Ignatov told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from the site, near the southeastern village of Karanovo. He said it was found in a funerary mound that archaeologists believe was the grave of a wealthy Thracian aristocrat, as he was buried with his belongings. Along with the chariot, which was decorated with scenes from mythology, the team unearthed well-preserved wooden and leather objects, some of which the archaeologists believe were horse harnesses. In August, excavations at another ancient Thracian tomb in the same region revealed another four-wheel chariot. About 10,000 Thracian mounds — some of them covering monumental stone tombs — are scattered across Bulgaria. The Thracians were an ancient people who inhabited the lands of present-day Bulgaria and parts of modern Greece, Turkey, Macedonia and Romania between 4,000 B.C. and the 6th century A.D., when they were assimilated by the invading Slavs. Copyright © 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Chariot and Horse Burial Uncovered in Bulgaria

I am fascinated by this kind of burial - it is so evocative of the ancient chess piece the ruhkh (warrior and chariot) and the "King's Champion" - Ruhkh - utilized by the Shahs of ancient Persia. Until the game of chess was modernized, probably in Spain at the end of the 14th century (The Chief, Ricardo Calvo, wrote extensively on this) the "rook" (a/k/a ruhkh) was the most powerful piece on the board, capable of broad sweeping moves. Bulgarian archaeologists discover ancient chariot By VESELIN TOSHKOV, Associated Press Writer Thu Aug 7, 12:24 PM ET SOFIA, Bulgaria - Archaeologists have unearthed a 1,900-year-old well-preserved chariot at an ancient Thracian tomb in southeastern Bulgaria, the head of the excavation said Thursday. Daniela Agre said her team found the four-wheel chariot during excavations near the village of Borisovo, around 180 miles east of the capital, Sofia. "This is the first time that we have found a completely preserved chariot in Bulgaria," said Agre, a senior archaeologist at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. She said previous excavations had only unearthed single parts of chariots — often because ancients sites had been looted. At the funerary mound, the team also discovered table pottery, glass vessels and other gifts for the funeral of a wealthy Thracian aristocrat. In a separate pit, they unearthed skeletons of two riding horses apparently sacrificed during the funeral of the nobleman, along with well preserved bronze and leather objects, some believed to horse harnesses. The Culture Ministry confirmed the find and announced $3,900 in financial assistance for Agre's excavation. Agre said an additional amount of $7,800 will be allocated by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences for an initial restoration and conservation of the chariot and the other Thracian finds. The Thracians were an ancient people that inhabited the lands of present day Bulgaria and parts of modern Greece, Turkey, Macedonia and Romania between 4,000 B.C. and the 6th century, when they were assimilated by the invading Slavs. Some 10,000 Thracian mounds — some of them covering monumental stone tombs — are scattered across Bulgaria.

Stunning Horse and Chariot Burial Uncovered in Greece

Sixteen horses? Story from The Herald Sun (Australia): From correspondents in Athens June 12, 2008 04:33am ARCHAEOLOGISTS have dug up the skeletons of 16 horses and a two-wheeled chariot in a grave dating back to the Roman Empire in north-east Greece, the culture ministry announced today. Half of the horses were buried in pairs, whilst two human skeletons were also discovered in a dig near Lithohori, in the Kavala region. Near to the remains of six of the horses archaeologists found a shield, weapons and various other accessories. Ten of the horse skeletons were complete, and in addition to the horses, diggers found a grave and four tombs covered with a ceramic lid, which contained four bronze coins dating back to the fourth century AD. The chariot, dating from the first or second century AD, was "undoubtedly designed to be used in war or hunting", the ministry said. The chariot was decorated with a frieze relief in bronze, depicting three of Hercules' labours: namely, the Cerberus dog, the wild boar of Erymanthian, and the Stymphalian birds. The ministry said that in 2007 archaeologists discovered a chariot wheel placed underneath two horse skeletons in the same area. These excavations were begun to mark the beginning of work on a new motorway linking the Ionian Sea in the west with the Greek-Turkish border.