A tomb under a future supermarket
In 2014, archaeologists from France's National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) began a routine excavation in the village of Lavau. The site was designated for a new commercial park. What they uncovered was one of the most significant Celtic burials found in decades: a 5th-century BCE princely tomb. The burial chamber, measuring 14 square meters, sat in the center of a massive tumulus, or burial mound, 40 meters in diameter. This central tomb was part of a larger necropolis with burials spanning from the Late Bronze Age.
The individual, dubbed the "Prince of Lavau," was laid to rest with his two-wheeled chariot. Skeletal analysis of the pelvic bones confirmed the remains belonged to a male who was over 30 years old at the time of death. He wore a solid gold torque, a type of neck ring, that weighs more than 580 grams (1.2 pounds). Golden bracelets adorned both wrists, and an amber necklace was found near his neck. Wear marks on the gold jewelry, identified through high-resolution 3D scanning, show that he wore these items during his life.
Mediterranean tastes in Celtic Gaul
The most spectacular object in the tomb is a massive bronze cauldron, about one meter in diameter. Of likely Greek or Etruscan origin, its four large handles are decorated with the horned head of the Greek river god Achelous. Eight lion heads decorate the rim. Inside the cauldron, archaeologists found an Attic black-figure ceramic wine pitcher, or oinochoe. This vessel features a scene with the god Dionysus lounging under a vine. Chemical analysis of the pitcher revealed traces of red wine, which would have been imported from the Mediterranean.
These foreign luxury items point to extensive trade networks between the Hallstatt culture of north-central Europe and the Greek and Etruscan city-states to the south. The control of trade routes for commodities like salt and iron likely enabled Celtic elites to acquire these prestigious goods. Feasting and the ritual consumption of wine, a Mediterranean practice, were adopted by these aristocrats to show their power and social standing. The Lavau Prince's burial goods also included a unique belt decorated with silver threads forming Celtic motifs and a knife in a sheath woven with fine bronze threads. This mix of local and imported finery shows a complex interaction between Celtic and Mediterranean cultures at the end of the First Iron Age.