French archaeologists
recently discovered a Gallic farm in Brittany dating to between 400 and 100 BC. Toward the end of this period the household grew very wealthy. They erected a huge timber hall and drank quantities of Italian and Spanish wine.
Imagine the thrill of digging into this little pit, imaging that it was just another post hole or whatever, and finding something so marvelous in the bottom.
It proved to be this bust.
Based on other examples from around Gaul, the archaeologists suspect this was an honored ancestor of the family. (Four views of the same piece.) In which case, why was it buried face-down in that little pit?
Other, cruder images were found in other parts of the site. Wonderful things.
Based on other examples from around Gaul, the archaeologists suspect this was an honored ancestor of the family. (Four views of the same piece.) In which case, why was it buried face-down in that little pit?
ReplyDeleteIsn't this sort of thing widespread through many cultures? Not all ritual burial of effigies seem to care about the direction the effigy is facing, or at least don't seem to view the effigy facing downward as negative. Not every culture equates up in the sky with good and down in the earth with bad.