Mysterious ancient skeletons discovered sitting upright in France

"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 face directed westward."

"Around 20 tombs with sitting Gauls have been discovered in a small area of Dijon's city centre since 1992. That is more than a quarter of the 75 tombs featuring sitting Gauls identified worldwide. Other sites have been found in France, Switzerland and the UK."

"Scientists are trying to work out why the ancient and little-understood Gaul people chose to bury some of its people in this unusual manner - and have even wondered whether they were still alive at the time of burial."

A skeleton discovered at a primary school in Dijon, France joins a series of unusually buried ancient Gaul remains found in the eastern city. These bodies were positioned upright in circular pits, seated with hands in their laps, backs against eastern walls, and faces directed westward. Dating from approximately 300 to 200 BCE, these burials represent a mysterious burial practice of the Gaul people. Since 1992, around 20 such tombs have been unearthed in Dijon's city center, comprising over a quarter of the 75 seated Gaul burials identified globally. Similar sites exist in Switzerland and the UK. Scientists remain puzzled about the cultural significance of this burial method and whether individuals were deceased or alive during interment.

Read at The Local France