Tree-coffin burial for a Celtic Swiss lady of prominence.

LiveScience relates how impressed archaeologists are at the classiness of an Iron Age Celtic burial in what’s now Switzerland:

After studying the 2,200-year-old burial, archaeologists learned that the woman was about 40 years old when she died and had probably performed little physical labor during her lifetime. Moreover, an analysis of her teeth suggested this woman liked to eat starchy or sweetened foods.

Even her coffin was remarkable; the woman was buried in a hollowed-out tree trunk, which still had bark on its exterior.

The archaeologists were especially intrigued by the clasp on the woman’s necklace. Both ends of the necklace had a garment clip known as a brooch that allowed her to wear the string of blue and yellow glass and amber beads, they said in a statement….

The woman also wore bronze bracelets and a delicate bronze belt chain with pendants hanging from it. Several iron clasps held her clothes together.


There’s an illustration at the link; she’s well-dressed and peaceful, and lying inside half a hollowed-out log.

[via Archaeological News]