Archaeologists have made an unusual discovery while excavating a burial site in Enzei, a village in the southeast
Folded iron frame chairIt is a rectangle about 70 by 45 cm. Although only the metal part of the chair has survived, it is possible that it was made from other materials such as wood and leather, scientists say. To learn more about this subject, they plan to use x-rays.
Metal chair. Photo: Zenger, BLfD
In addition to the chair, there were manyother grave goods, including a pearl necklace with small multicolored glass beads draped around the skeleton's neck, a belt with several brooches, a whorl for hand-spinning yarn, and an animal bone, possibly from a cow's rib, which probably served as a meat offering.
The researchers used to determineage of the burial, a large glass millefiori bead, mottled with glass flecks of different colors, fused together. The study showed that the burial dates back to around 600 AD.
Bead used for dating. Photo: Zenger, BLfD
A large number of different items in the ancientburials are not uncommon, scientists say. But this is one of a small number of cases where a chair was found in the grave. The researchers believe that the woman who died at the age of 40-50 probably had a high social status. Future research will help to find out more.
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