“Unearthed Secrets of a 2,200-Year-Old Celtic Warrior: A Chariot, Horses, and Mysteries Await in Yorkshire!”
Archaeologists believe that the grave dates back to more than 2,000 years during the Iron Age. The corpse found inside the grave is believed to have been in his late 40s at the time of his death which was likely sometime between 320 BC and 174 BC.
“We don’t know how the man died,” archaeologist Paula Ware from MAP Archaeological Practice said. “There are some blunt force traumas but they wouldn’t have killed him. I don’t think he died in battle; it is highly likely he died in old age.”
Whoever the man was, Ware added, he “has collected some nice goodies along the way – he is definitely not run of the mill.” The “goodies” Ware alluded to include six piglets — thought to be ceremonial offerings — and a decorative bronze and red glass “dragonfly” brooch.
SWNSThe 2,000-year-old shield inside the grave has been hailed as the most important discovery of the millennium in Britain.
Most noteworthy of the items was a shield decorated in the La Tène style which featured an asymmetrical design and spiral motifs made by hammering a bronze sheet from underneath.
The shield showed visible slash marks on the upper right-hand side indicating that it had been used in battle before being put underground, contradicting the popular belief that such elaborately-designed metal shields were purely ceremonial and not intended for warfare.
The shield also featured sturdy leather and wood fittings on the back which had rotted away and a scalloped border incomparable to any other Iron Age find across Europe. The shield is thus quite a significant find on its own.
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