tour 6 of 6
The Wetwang Chariot Burial
The Funeral
When archaeologists excavate a grave, they are not simply
excavating a body, but the physical evidence for a ritual event,
the funeral itself. So, what happened at Wetwang? We know that the
woman had been dead for a few days before she was buried. The grave
was dug, she was (presumably) brought to it on her chariot and
carefully laid in a crouched position on a mat or blanket. The
mirror and pig joints were placed around her.
The chariot was then dismantled and placed over her. We know
that the axle and pole would have hit her body, so the side of the
grave was rapidly pushed down to raise them. The rest of the
vehicle was passed in, pointing northwards as with other Iron Age
chariot burials in East Yorskhire. The horses were not buried.
Other parts of this 2,300 year-old funeral are lost to us. We
don't know what happened before or after her burial, or what songs,
dances or speeches may have occurred. We do know that this was a
special funeral for a special person. But exactly what was special
about her is controversial and will probably never be known. Was
she a princess, a chieftain, a priestess, a seer, or none of
these?
Illustrations: stills from the BBC
reconstruction of the burial.