Archeologists recently discovered a grave in France . The grave is about 2000 years old. To put this in perspective, they would have dug the grave shortly after Julius Caesar conquered Gaul (modern day France). The grave was for a child about one year old. It also contained several items believed to be for the afterlife, which included a dog. It is not unusual to see children buried with dogs. What makes this find unusual is that the dog appears to have been buried with toys.
The child was likely from a wealthy family.
Aside from the dog, the grave included terracotta vases, half a pig, two chickens, and glass pots that are believed to have held oils and medicines. The number of items suggests that the family was wealthy and of high status. Normally a grave would have about two pots, whereas this child had around 20 pots in addition to the offerings of food.
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In that era in Gaul, adults were often cremated, but children were buried.
This child was buried in a small coffin with the objects placed around it. The archeologists also found a small tooth placed on a shell. It is thought that the tooth is from one of the child’s siblings. In total, the grave was one-by-two meters. Children’s gravesites are typically found on the parent’s estate. So, this suggests that nearby, there should be the remains of a sizable estate.
Additional items were placed by the dog.
The dog had a collar with a bell and bronze decorations. There was also an iron ring attached to a bent metal rod placed between the dog’s legs. It is thought that the ring and rod were some type of dog toy. The dog was likely the child’s pet.
The grave is one of the oldest graves found in France.
The oldest grave is believed to be from several decades earlier, but that grave was of an adult. It contained weapons, which suggest the deceased was a soldier. The newly discovered grave is the oldest child’s burial in France.
The archeologists will continue to learn more. They plan to analyze the glass bottles to determine what oils and medicines the child were buried with. They will also continue to explore the surrounding area. So far, they have found additional objects dating to the Iron Age and the middle ages. Perhaps there are other important discoveries to still find.
h/t: Smithsonian Magazine
