Jan Bartek- AncientPages.com - Known for their military courage, the nomadic warriors known as the Huns were feared. They were excellent horsemen and archers who invaded southeastern Europe c. 370 C.E.
The Huns struck fear into the heart of the European population and built up an enormous empire in southeastern and central Europe during the next seven decades.
Archaeologists say a Hun warrior is buried in a grave found during construction works on a highway in Romania. Credit: CNAIR/Vasile Pârvan Institute of Archaeology
The Huns, especially under their leader King Attila, made frequent and devastating raids into the Eastern Roman Empire.
Before heading for Rome, the Huns defeated the Visigoths living in what is now approximately Romania.
While building a new highway, Romanian workers discovered a tomb of historical importance. Researchers from the Vasile Parvan Institute of Archeology in Bucharest examined the grave that contained a Hun chieftain buried with more than a hundred gold objects and the head of his horse.
The tomb dates to the fifth century A.D. and is located in a region that the Huns controlled at the time.
A sword was found in the grace dated to the 5th century A.D. Credit: CNAIR/Vasile Pârvan Institute of Archeology.
Silviu Ene of the Vasile Pârvan Institute of Archeology in Bucharest, the lead archaeologist investigating the tomb, said it contains more than a hundred gold or gilded objects, gilded swords, daggers, quivers, clothespins, a bronze cauldron, and arrowheads. The buried man's face was probably covered with a gold mask, the remains of which were also found. He added that a horse skull and horse bones were also removed from the grave, the Hungary Posts reports.
"Four separate archaeological sites were unearthed during the road construction, and the wealthy warrior's tomb — which the researchers described as "princely" — was just a part of the most complex site, Ene said.
Scientists noticed the sword and dagger are decorated with gold leaf. Credit: CNAIR/Vasile Pârvan Institute of Archeology.
"This tomb is of major importance because, in addition to the rich inventory, it was discovered at a site along with 900 other archaeological features — [such as] pits, dwellings, and tombs," he told Live Science.
The age of the archaeological discovery was estimated based on the typology of the objects in the IV-V. Century.
The researchers emphasize further investigations must be carried out to establish a more precise age.
Based on the written sources, in this age, Huns, Goths, and other peoples under Hun rule probably lived in the areas north of the Danube.
Next to the skeleton of the Hun warrior were the legs and skull of his horse. Credit: CNAIR/Vasile Pârvan Institute of Archeology.
This is undoubtedly a unique find. The place must have been significant to the Huns as "pieces of Hun cauldrons, graves, and clothing items were also found in the area, and the Pietroasele treasure was also found here."
See also: More Archaeology News
Who the man resting in the grave was remains undetermined for now.
"The investigations are still at the beginning, but based on the weapons, we can assume that the person was a warrior. Comparing the chronology of the objects taken into the inventory with the ancient sources, we can assume that he lived under the Hun rule. We do not believe that his ethnic classification would be possible without carrying out tests such as strontium isotope or archaeogenetics. We cannot talk about the likely origin of the person," the researchers said.
Written by Jan Bartek - AncientPages.com Staff Writer
