People sat in pits: rare Iron Age burials found in France

In the city of Dijon, France, recent archaeological excavations have uncovered rare Iron Age burials. The site has a rich history of cultural and social practices that deserve careful study.

The site found on Turgo Street is an extraordinary example of how one place can reflect different stages of settlement and transformation over thousands of years. Archaeologists have found a small diameter grave in which people were sitting, writes La Brujula Verde.

The excavations revealed 13 separate graves with a peculiar arrangement: the bodies were laid at the bottom of round pits one meter in diameter, oriented to the west. The arms were lying along the torso, the hands were tightly attached to the pelvis, and the legs were asymmetrically bent. There were no funerary offerings in these graves, with the exception of a black stone bracelet dating from 300-200 BC, which confirms their connection to the Gallic period.

In the same location, but dating from the first century AD, a necropolis for the burial of children under one year of age was discovered. This burial group, located in the western part of the excavated area, is notable for its homogeneity: the bodies were laid horizontally in small burial structures that included nails and the remains of wooden coffins. Some graves contained sacrifices such as coins or pottery.

The orderly arrangement of these graves in rows indicates ritual care in their organization. However, the passage of time and later agricultural activity partially changed the necropolis, erasing some of its original structures.

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