Saint-Dizier

In 2002, French archaeologists excavated three Frankish graves near the town of Saint-Dizier. All were of wealthy aristocrats, two men and one woman. They were buried some time around AD 550. The woman, about 19, was buried in a simple wooden coffin set in a narrow trench (above). The coffins of the two men were both set in oak tombs that measured 9 by 5 feet (2.8 by 1.6 meters):

Nearby was buried a large horse:

All three burials were accompanied by impressive grave goods. Those of the young woman included a bronze basin -- used for washing one's hands and face -- glass vessels, and jewelry:

Those of the men included the whole suite of Frankish weapons -- longsword, spear, and the distinctive Frankish ax called the scramasax -- as well as glass, jewelry, bronze basins and wooden buckets with bronze fittings.:

The archaeology of the Franks in Roman Gaul is not about buildings or settlements; they lived in Roman buildings, in Roman settlements. We find evidence of Franks only in their cemeteries. They emphasized their identity in the way they buried their dead, separately from the Romans and with all the objects they would need to keep up their status in the next life.

The project has a great web site, where you can see close-up images of the objects and read about the details of the excavation. It is mainly in French, but you can access everything through this English portal.