tech
Ancient skeleton unearthed in France is latest to be found sitting upright
Scientists trying to work out why Gauls chose to bury some of their dead in seated position facing west
TL;DR
- A skeleton was found sitting upright in a circular pit next to the Josephine Baker primary school in Dijon, France.
- This is the latest in a series of similar discoveries of ancient Gaulish bodies buried in a seated position facing west.
- The bodies are believed to date from approximately 300BC to 200BC.
- Over the last 30 years, about 20 tombs with sitting Gauls have been found in a small area of Dijon, which is more than a quarter of those identified worldwide.
- Five of the bodies show signs of violence, including one with a fatal skull wound.
- No personal belongings were found among the Dijon bodies, except for one armband.
- The bodies were all men, measuring between 1.62-1.82 metres tall, except for one child.
- Their teeth were well preserved, and their bones show traces of osteoarthritis, suggesting intense physical activity.