BERN, SWITZERLAND—According to a statement released by the Swiss National Science Foundation, Zita Laffranchi of the University of Bern and her colleagues examined 2,000-year-old human remains and ruins of a Celtic bridge found at the site of Cornaux/Les Sauges during work on the Thielle Canal in western Switzerland in 1965. It had previously been suggested that the site could represent a sudden flood or a place of human sacrifice. The researchers determined that the well-preserved bones represent at least 20 people, including 17 adults, 15 of whom appear to have been young men; one girl; and two small children. The state of preservation suggests that the bodies were covered with sediment soon after death. DNA analysis detected no familial links between the individuals, although Celtic lineages found in Britain, the Czech Republic, Spain, and central Italy were identified. Injuries had been sustained to all parts of the bodies, likely by violent impact, although no wounds made by sharp objects were identified. It is not clear from the radiocarbon dating of the material, however, if all of the deaths occurred at once, nor if they occurred at the same time as the destruction of the bridge. After considering all of the evidence, the researchers think the group of young men may have been prisoners or slaves who were killed by a violent and sudden accident, said team member Marco Milella of the University of Bern. “But this bridge had a prior life,” he added. “It may have been a place of sacrifice, and it is conceivable that some corpses preceded the accident. There is no reason to choose between the two alternatives,” he concluded. Read the original scholarly article about this research in Scientific Reports. To read about the Iron Age burial of an elite Celt uncovered in north-central France, go to "Tomb of a Highborn Celt," one of ARCHAEOLOGY's Top 10 Discoveries of 2015.
