Ancient skeleton discovered sitting upright in France

"Five tombs of Gauls buried in a seated position have been discovered in central Dijon. Similar to four others unearthed nearby earlier this month, it is sitting upright at the bottom of a one-metre-wide pit. The skeleton's hands are resting in its lap. Like the others, its back is against the eastern wall, its gaze directed westward."

"Over the last 30 years, archaeological digs have revealed that Dijon was once a special place for the Gauls, a Celtic group of people perhaps best known for the French comic Asterix and Obelix. The Gauls first emerged in roughly the fifth century BC, spreading over swathes of modern-day France, Belgium, Switzerland and further east."

"Little is known about their culture beyond the writings of others- and these can be biased, such as those recorded by the Roman emperor Julius Caesar, who conquered the Gauls in 50BC. Except for one armband which dates the settlement to the Gallic period, no personal belongings or ornaments were found among the Dijon bodies."

A skeleton discovered at a primary school in Dijon, France joins a series of remarkably well-preserved Gaulish remains found buried in seated positions within one-meter-wide pits. Five tombs were unearthed this month alone, with approximately 20 total seated burials discovered in Dijon's city center over 30 years. Each skeleton sits upright with hands in lap, back against the eastern wall, and gaze directed westward. Dating to 300-200 BC, these burials represent a significant concentration of this burial practice. The Gauls, a Celtic people who inhabited ancient France and surrounding regions, left limited historical records beyond accounts by Roman conquerors. Archaeologists seek to understand the cultural significance of this distinctive burial method and whether individuals were buried alive.

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