2,300-year-old Celtic Grave Items: Scissors, Folded Sword Found Inside Ancient Cremation Tomb in Germany

A folded sword, a pair of scissors, and some other artifacts were unearthed in an ancient Celtic cremation tomb in Germany.

2,300-year-old Celtic Grave Items

The stash of goods also includes a razor, shield portion, fibula, spearhead, and belt chain. Live Science notes that, considering these findings, researchers think that a woman and a man were once buried in the area.

In a translated statement, researchers explained that from the third to the second century B.C., the Celts burned the dead and buried their remains beside their belongings. It was by chance that the excavation team found these artifacts; they were initially searching for leftover World War II explosive devices.

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Exceptionally Good Pair of Scissors, Folded Sword

While the burial site itself was a remarkable discovery, what caught the eye of the researchers was the pair of scissors. Martina Pauli, an archaeologist from the Bavarian State Office for the Preservation of Monuments, explains that the condition of the scissors is exceptionally good. As they are used today, this pair of scissors was also used to cut things, but they could also be used for crafts, such as shearing sheep or processing leather.

Ancient Origins reports that, though there is no clear answer to why this pair of scissors was included in the Celtic burial site, it is agreed that they could have harbored symbolic and practical importance for those who passed away.

Live Science adds that though the scissors may look like they were utilized for regular daily tasks, Pauli assumes that they may have been a weapon used in battle, similar to the folded sword.

Pauli notes that it is not unusual for Celtic swords to be found folded. Before the burial, this sword may have been heated and folded, which made it unusable. It may have also had a length of 30 inches.

There are various ways for these findings to be interpreted. The sword's permanent disabling could have been done for different reasons, such as stopping grave items from being robbed or a fear of the dead rising again.

Nevertheless, these burial artifacts reveal a social superiority of some sort, especially for those whose burial areas were filled with such heavy metals. Considering the artifacts found, Pauli also suspects the possibility that the burial could also have been a warrior's.

Aside from the sword and the scissors, there was also a belt chain that may have held a robe together, possibly a dress. The single fibula found at the woman's burial area may have also fastened a coat over the shoulder.

The grave items were retrieved for safekeeping and protection.

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