Archaeologists Make Extraordinary Discovery of Ancient Horse Sacrifice Site in France
In a captivating discovery, archaeologists in France have unearthed an ancient excavation site that sheds light on a possible sacrificial ritual involving over two dozen stallions. Located in a valley near the commune of Villedieu-sur-Indre in central France, this 3-acre (1.2 hectares) site dates back to sometime between the fifth and sixth centuries.
The excavation has revealed several intriguing structures, including buildings and ditches, as well as a cluster of nine pits. Two of these pits have been meticulously excavated, yielding the skeletal remains of 28 horses. These stallions were found carefully positioned on their right sides, with their heads facing south, and were arranged in two rows and on two levels.
Based on their precise positioning, archaeologists have deduced that all the horses were buried concurrently in what can only be described as an extraordinary burial. Further analysis suggests that these animals met their demise sometime between 100 B.C. and A.D. 100. Their relatively small size, approximately 3 feet (1 meter) in height, leads researchers to believe that they were most likely Gallic livestock. Interestingly, all the horse skeletons belong to adult males.
Adding to the intrigue of this discovery, archaeologists also unearthed a pair of medium-size adult dogs within one of the pits. These dogs were buried facing west. While the cause of death for both the horses and dogs remains uncertain, archaeologists speculate that they may have been part of a sacrificial ritual. Further research is underway to corroborate this hypothesis.
Intriguingly, the researchers suspect that this site may be connected to a nearby site to the south, where previous excavations decades ago revealed numerous ancient burials and artifacts associated with a mass sacrifice. This newfound discovery, along with another horse burial at the Gallic site of Gondola involving “eight riders and their horses,” may provide valuable insights into the Gallic Wars led by Julius Caesar between 58 and 50 B.C.
