An Iron Age chariot has been discovered in a Yorkshire village for the second time in two years. The discovery was made at a construction site where more than 200 horses were buried in the town of Pocklington, England.
Archaeologists are preparing to excavate the discovery starting in October 2018. According to media reports, not only a chariot, but also human and horse bones were found.
Simon Usher, Managing Director at Persimmon Homes Yorkshire, said: ‘We can announce that a field archaeologist excavating an Iron Age chariot has been found at our development, The Mile in Pocklington. The archaeological excavation is being carried out by our archaeologists and an investigation is underway to date and detail the find.’
In an unusual twist, 18 months ago, another Iron Age chariot was found, along with two horses, at a different construction site in Pocklington.
Archaeologists warned in 2017: ‘The chariot was discovered as part of a funerary practice that was not unusual in the Iron Age. However, the horses were an additional surprise for archaeologists.’
The Telegraph notes that ‘the discovery of the remains dating back to 500 BC is the first of its kind in the last 200 years and one of only 26 chariots excavated in the UK.’
Archaeologists say it is highly unusual to find a chariot and chariots together and with a human. In 2017, Paula Ware, director of management at MAP Archaeological Practice Ltd, said in a report: ‘The chariot was located in the last phase before being excavated and on the perimeter of the cemetery.’
She continued, ‘The discoveries are a testament to the high ѕoсіаɩ position of the Arras (Middle Iron Age) culture and the dating of artifacts in secure contexts is exceptional.’
A chariot was the holder of a high status in society. The rest of the site, which includes horses as part of the burial, is being carefully studied by archaeologists. Prior to the excavation, the range of artefacts included a sword, shields, spears, brooches, bracelets and beads.
The excavations offer a glimpse of life more than 2,500 years ago. These are considered part of the Arras culture.
Yorkshire continues to be the place where well-preserved walls of the remains of the Arras culture have been found. In 2016, around 150 burials and their personal possessions were discovered in a small market in the heart of the Yorkshire moors.
Some of the 75 barrows, or burial mounds, contained personal possessions such as jewelry and weapons, according to The Guardian. Archaeologists also discovered a skeleton with a shield.
Reports say the remains were of a man in his late twenties, who died with his sword at his side. Before his death, he had apparently had six spears pressed into him ‘like a hedgehog’.
These sites are believed to date back to the Iron Age in Britain, spanning from around 800 BC to the arrival of the Romans in 43 AD.
An in-depth study will focus on determining if the population is indigenous or if they are recent arrivals from the continent. Archaeologists also plan to conduct DNA analysis to reveal how these burials at the site died and whether they are related in any way.
The custom of burying the dead with their war chariots is unknown in the rest of the British Empire. Interestingly, the Arras vehicles were disassembled, a less common practice in continental burials.
