Archaeologists say two chariots with wooden wheels were also found at this site

Jun 26, 2014 20:45 GMT  ·  By
Researchers announce the discovery of a 4,000-year-old burial site in Georgia
   Researchers announce the discovery of a 4,000-year-old burial site in Georgia

A team of archaeologists carrying out excavations in the country of Georgia, in the Caucasus region of Eurasia, have recently announced the discovery of an ancient burial site.

The site in question is estimated to be about 4,000 years old, and the specialists who have had the chance to study it say that, according to evidence at hand, it was intended for a privileged individual.

More precisely, it is believed that the burial site was built in order to accommodate for the remains of a chief or a leader of a human community that inhabited the region in ancient times.

Hence the fact that several gold artifacts, together with amber beads, beautifully decorated clay and wooden vessels, and even two chariots with wooden wheels were found inside it, Live Science informs.

“In the burial chamber were placed two four-wheeled chariots, both in good condition, [the] design of which represents fine ornamental details of various styles,” researcher Zurab Makharadze wrote in a report documenting the find.

Interestingly enough, specialists say that these two chariots precede the time when people living in this part of the globe first began domesticating horses. Since no animal remains were uncovered at the site, it is unclear how these chariots got around.

Specialist Zurab Makharadze and his colleagues say that, all things considered, it is possible that the person to whom these chariots belonged relied on oxen to pull them. However, this is yet to be confirmed.

The archaeologists further detail that, unfortunately, they were not the first to discover this burial site and take the time to explore it. Thus, they say that the site appears to have been disturbed by grave robbers shortly after being sealed shut.

It is believed that this is the reason why, when researchers first entered the burial chamber, which is hidden under a 39-foot (about 12-meter) tall mound, they found that the people who had been laid to rest inside were not in their proper places.

Specifically, Zurab Makharadze and fellow researchers claim that, when they first stumbled upon them, the remains of the seven people who would have probably liked to call this burial chamber their final resting place were lying around in a disorderly fashion.

The archaeologists exploring this 4,000-year-old burial site cannot say for sure, but they have reasons to believe that, of these seven people, one was the chief for whom the burial was planned, and the others were either members of his family or slaves that were sacrificed when he died.

“One of them was a chief and others should be the members of his family, sacrificed slaves or servants,” Zurab Makharadze with the National Georgian Museum explained in a statement.