DIJON, FRANCE—According to a Gizmodo report, researchers from the French National Institute of Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) uncovered a group of 13 Gallic burials dated to between 450 and 25 B.C., and a children’s necropolis dated to the first century A.D., at the site of a convent in eastern France. Both of the burial sites had been damaged by agricultural activity. The human remains in all of the Gallic burials were found seated upright in circular pits and facing west. The pits were dug at regular intervals in a row stretching from north to south. The arms of each of the individuals had been placed along their torsos with hands resting near the hips or bent legs. A black rock wristband dated to between 300 and 200 B.C. was the only artifact recovered from these burials. Two similar burials were discovered near the site in the 1990s. The researchers suggest that the individuals may have been warriors, or they may have been linked to political or religious power. Meanwhile, all of the children buried in the necropolis were less than one year old at the time of death, and were positioned on their backs or sides in the graves. Some of the children were buried in wooden coffins, and some of the graves contained coins and ceramics. To read about a Gallo-Roman necropolis excavated in southwest France, go to "Shackled for Eternity."
