French archaeologists said this week they had discovered an exceptional Gallic war treasure, seen here in this photo courtesy INRAP, in the south of the country, including rare war trumpets and ornate helmets(AFP/INRAP-HO)
Posted on 11/27/2004 9:49:43 PM PST by FairOpinion
BORDEAUX, France (AFP) - French archaeologists said this week they had discovered an exceptional Gallic war treasure in the south of the country, including rare war trumpets and ornate helmets.
The some 470 objects, or fragments of objects, were found at the end of September during a dig at Naves, in the department of Correze in southern France, in a ditch hollowed out of a Gallic-Roman temple, they said.
"The exceptional character of this discovery lies mainly in the presence of five almost complete carnyx," Christophe Maniquet, an archeologist at Inrap, France's national institute for Archeological studies, said.
"They are celtic war trumpets which were used to scare off the enemy, by confusing the battle," he said.
He said it was the first time these ceremonial musical instruments had been found in one piece. The long, bronze tubes, measuring more than two metres long, have flags on the end, four of which bear the head of a wild boar, the fifth a snake.
"In all, in the world, there have only been fragments of these instruments, in Scotland and Mandeure (eastern France). We only know these trumpets through drawings," he said, saying they had in particular been seen represented on coins.
The searches of the temple, including into the first occupations, which date back to the first century BC, started in September 2001.
In addition to the traditional warfare -- swords, sheathes and spearheads, the archaeologists made another special discovery: nine war helmets, of which eight in bronze and one in iron, with their rearpeaks.
One of them was particularly original, being decorated with a swan, while another was decorated with golden leaves.
"We have only found around 20 helmets in the territory of the ancient Gaul," Maniquet said.
The discovery does not end there.
Also unearthed in the search are bronze animals' heads --boars and a horse.
"These animals could be war signs, placed at the end of the poles which guided soldiers during battles," he said.
There are only five kinds of this kind of sign.
Experts say the experts could be a real "war trophy", and appear to have been buried for religious reasons.
"The fact of having buried them amounts to a ritual of offering," he said.
Most of the collection has been sent to a laboratory in Toulouse to be cleaned, carefully studied by archaeologists and then restored.
"We hope to see these objects on show in a museum in two or three years' time," Maniquet said.
"All specialists, whether English, German or Italian, of the Celtic period will come rushing to see these exceptional objects."
French archaeologists said this week they had discovered an exceptional Gallic war treasure, seen here in this photo courtesy INRAP, in the south of the country, including rare war trumpets and ornate helmets(AFP/INRAP-HO)
GGG PING
The some 470 objects, or fragments of objects, were found at the end of September during a dig at Naves, in the department of Correze in southern France, in a ditch hollowed out of a Gallic-Roman temple, they said.
Asteryx bump.
Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on, off, or alter the "Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list --
Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
The GGG Digest -- Gods, Graves, Glyphs (alpha order)
Ancient French War Relics never used, Dropped once!!
Yeah right, most likely it was used to sound the retreat.
First century BC would put it roughly in the time that Julius Caesar lived, would it not? As I recall, he wrote a book about his conquests in Gaul.
LOL!
It was actually a public toilet, and it was a slit trench, not a "ditch"..
The enemy scared the crap out of them and they dropped the "accoutremants" in the confusing rush to surrender..
These trumpets were blown to sound the surrender call.
Gallia est divise in tres partes.
Carnyx
Ask me if I care. All the wonderful treasures of France will soon be destroyed by Islamic extremists anyway, so don't get too excited. ----BREAKING NEWS.....the latest French fashion; multicolored head and body covers for women.
Especially if it turns out that France was the country who consorted wtih the terrorists who murdered school children in Russia.
Investigator suggests foreign intelligence involved in Russia school (terrorist) attack
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1289658/posts
If you can stand the sarcasm, an interesting thread for you Frenchies (Marie and AF).
You are very funny but I think this discovery is a sign :
Defend our country against the invaders ;-)
Upon making the discovery, the French archaeologists immediately surrendered to the helmets.
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