LEICESTER, ENGLAND—Chariot fittings decorated with a triskele motif of three wavy lines were uncovered by students from the University of Leicester at the Burrough Hill site. They found the matching set of fittings, which appear to have been placed in a box and surrounded by iron tools and other accoutrements, in a pit near a house. “The function of the iron tools is a bit of a mystery, but given the equestrian nature of the hoard, it is possible that they were associated with horse grooming. One piece in particular has characteristics of a modern curry comb, while two curved blades may have been used to maintain horses’ hooves or manufacture harness parts,” John Thomas, co-director of the project, told Culture 24. Cereal chaff had been placed underneath the box and then the box and the chaff were burned in what may have been a religious ritual. The deposit was then covered with a layer of burnt cinder and slag. “This is a very rare discovery, and a strong sign of the prestige of the site,” Jeremy Taylor, co-director of the project, explained. To read about a chariot burial contemporary to the Celtic find, see ARCHAEOLOGY's "Remains of Upright Horses Discovered in Thracian Tomb."
