Discovery of Upright Skeleton in Dijon
Children at a primary school in eastern France encountered an unusual sight near their playground this week: a skeleton positioned upright, emerging from the top of a circular pit.
This skeleton is the most recent in a series of bodies uncovered in Dijon, all buried in a seated posture facing westward.
Researchers are investigating the reasons behind the ancient Gauls' choice to inter some of their dead in this distinctive manner, as well as exploring the possibility that these individuals may have been buried alive.
The newly found skeleton, which is notably well-preserved, was discovered adjacent to the Josephine Baker primary school.
Similar to four other skeletons excavated nearby earlier this month, it rests upright at the base of a pit approximately one metre in diameter.
The skeleton’s hands lie folded in its lap. Consistent with the others, its back is against the eastern wall of the pit, with its gaze directed toward the west.
Context of Previous Discoveries
In the previous year, 13 additional skeletons were uncovered roughly 20 metres away at the same construction site. These remains are estimated to date from approximately 300 BC to 200 BC.
Over the past three decades, archaeological excavations have revealed that Dijon was once a significant location for the Gauls, a Celtic people perhaps best known today through the French comic series "Asterix and Obelix."
The Gauls emerged around the fifth century BC, spreading across what is now modern-day France, Belgium, Switzerland, and further east.
Knowledge about their culture remains limited, primarily derived from external sources that may carry bias, such as accounts by the Roman emperor Julius Caesar, who conquered the Gauls in 50 BC.
Including earlier finds from 1992, approximately 20 tombs containing seated Gauls have been identified within a small area in Dijon’s city centre.
This number represents more than a quarter of the 75 known tombs worldwide featuring seated Gauls. Other such sites have been located in France, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
Significance and Unanswered Questions
Regis Labeaune, a researcher at the French archaeological institute INRAP, described the latest findings as
“particularly impressive discoveries.”
“Given the number and quality of these discoveries, we can say there was a significant Gallic settlement in Dijon,”he told AFP.
Despite these findings, many aspects remain unclear. It is unknown whether this unusual burial practice represented a form of punishment for wrongdoing or a mark of honor for the powerful.
Among the bodies, five exhibit signs of violence, including one individual with a fatal skull wound.
Except for a single armband that dates the settlement to the Gallic period, no personal items or ornaments were found with the Dijon skeletons.
Details of the Buried Individuals
All the skeletons were male, ranging in height from 1.62 to 1.82 metres, with the exception of a child discovered in 1992.
Their teeth were exceptionally well-preserved, likely due to the absence of sugar in their diet, according to INRAP archaeo-anthropologist Annamaria Latron.
“Their bones display traces of osteoarthritis, suggesting intense physical activity,”she noted, particularly affecting their legs.
Ongoing Investigations and Challenges
Regarding the rationale behind this peculiar burial method, Latron stated,
“We do not have a preferred hypothesis. We’re missing the surface layer, which was above the tombs.”
“Being an archaeologist can be a very frustrating profession,”she added.
