Fittings from an Iron Age chariot has been discovered by archaeologists from the School of Archaeology and Ancient History at the University of Leicester in England.
Burrough Hill Iron Age hillfort, not far from Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire is the site of continuing excavations by archaeologists. The region once housed a defensive structure, surrounded by homes and farms.
"This is a matching set of highly-decorated bronze fittings from an Iron Age chariot... This is the most remarkable discovery of material we made at Burrough Hill in the five years we worked on the site. This is a very rare discovery, and a strong sign of the prestige of the site," Jeremy Taylor, archaeologist at the University of Leicester, said.
Three-sided designs called triskele patterns were engraved on the bronze fittings. An assortment of bronze chariot accessories were found scattered around the site.
Archaeologists believe the accessories may have been buried as part of a religious offering in the Second or Third Century before the common era. The ceremony may have marked the closing of a house in the area, or could have been part of seasonal celebrations.
The chariot, mostly made of wood, was likely burned as part of the sacrifice. The fittings were likely placed in a box, which were surrounded by iron tools before being set on fire. Cinder and slag, the stony waste left over from smelting of metal ore, was later placed on top of the implements. Researchers are uncertain why the tools were placed with the chariot fittings, although they may have been used to care for horses - one of the artifacts is shaped similarly to a modern curry comb.
Humans lived in the Burrough Hill Iron Age hillfort area as far back as six thousand years ago. Population in the region peaked for about 150 years, between B.C.E. 100 and C.E. 50. The chariot likely belonged to a powerful person in the region 2,200 years ago, according to researchers.
"Realizing that I was actually uncovering a hoard that was carefully placed there hundreds of years ago made it the find of a lifetime. Looking at the objects now they have been cleaned makes me even more proud, and I can't wait for them to go on display," Nora Battermann, a student at the University of Leicester who helped make the discovery, said.
The fittings are on temporary display at the Melton Carnegie Museum in Leicestershire, from October 18 until December 13th.
