tour 2 of 6
The Wetwang Chariot Burial
The Grave
In most parts of Iron Age Britain funeral rituals did not lead
to the burial of the dead person in a grave. However, in East
Yorkshire from about 400 to 100 BC, people buried their dead in
large cemeteries. Most were buried with only a few grave goods - a
plain pot or a single brooch - or none at all. A very small number
were buried with more spectacular items, such as the Kirkburn
Sword, and very rarely, with a chariot. Over 700 Iron Age graves
have been excavated in East Yorkshire since 1960 and only seven
contain chariots.
The grave at Wetwang was on the top of a hill. The body of the
woman lay in a crouched position at the south end, with a mirror
propped against her legs. Her upper body was covered with joints of
a pig, perhaps placed there as food for the Afterlife. The
dismantled pieces of a chariot were then placed around her, the box
platform carefully positioned so that it covered her body. The wood
of the chariot has rotted, leaving only the metal fittings from the
chariot and the horse harness. The horses themselves were not put
into the ground. The grave was filled in and covered with a low
mound, surrounded by a square ditch.
Main illustration: plan of the burial