Examining the Rich Tomb of a Mysterious Celtic Princess

Celtic princesses are almost mythical in today’s modern culture. They are often considered as women with mystical talents and hidden stories. A grave discovered beside the Danube River brings much information about a woman who was perhaps a real Celtic princess.

A large burial which contained the skeleton of a Celtic noblewoman was discovered in 2009 beside the Danube River near Heuneburg, in the south of Germany. It is the oldest known wealthy grave of a Celtic woman. The grave was quite well preserved by the water-sodden soil of the region. The burial chamber of the tomb was wooden, the oak of the floor was intact, and it was possible to put an exact date on it. The oak trees used in the tomb were felled 2,620 years ago. With this discovery, one can determine that the woman buried in the tomb died in 609 BC.

Course of the Danube, marked in red. (Public Domain)

The Treasure of the Celtic Princess

The tomb was never looted, so all the treasures which ancient people gave to the noble lady were still there when it was opened. The tomb was lifted by heavy cranes in December 2010 and transported to a tented laboratory near Stuttgart, Germany. It weighs 80 tons, so the process was challenging. The research by archaeologists associated with the Stuttgart Regional Council provided better results than they had expected. The tomb was full of amber jewelry, gold, bronze, and more.