Ancient Celtic Village With Human Remains and Roman Settlement Discovered

An ancient Celtic village and a later Roman settlement have been discovered in southeastern Germany.

A team of archaeologists uncovered evidence of the village, which is thought to be around 2,300 years old, in a field located in the northern outskirts of Munich, local media outlet Abendzeitung München (AM) reported.

It is the first complete and coherent Celtic village to be found in Munich, a city located in the German state of Bavaria, according to archaeologists.

The site where the village was found has been earmarked for the construction of a new district that will include 1,700 apartments, a school and daycare centers. But archaeologists have been excavating the area before the work begins in earnest, unearthing a number of structures and artifacts in the process.

The village was once occupied by Celtic peoples of the La Tène culture who flourished during the late Iron Age around 450 B.C. to the start of the first millennium A.D. The territory that is now Bavaria was originally settled by Celtic peoples but it was eventually conquered by the Romans and incorporated into the empire.

In the field on the outskirts of Munich, researchers uncovered the remains of ancient Celtic houses in the northern part of the 23-hectare construction site.

"We rarely have such a chance to examine such a large construction site in one go," archaeologist and excavation manager Carl Göderz told the Abendzeitung München.

Archaeologists think that around 500 people may have once lived in the village based on the available evidence—a large number for the period.

In the middle of the settlement stood a large building around 65 by 65 feet with column-like wooden arcades around it.

"The villagers will have gathered there, perhaps for prayers," Matthias Pfeil, head of the Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation, told AM. "You can perhaps imagine it as a kind of town hall."

Intriguingly, researchers also uncovered three graves containing the remains of a man and two children.

"We know next to nothing about Celtic mortuary customs," Pfeil said. "These dead people here may have been special people."

Several brooches, razors and animal bones were also found in the village. Among the bones were dog remains with traces on them indicating that the canines had been eaten, Göderz told Merkur.

"The significance of the excavation results lies, on the one hand, in the completeness of the settlements examined and, on the other hand, in the connection with associated grave finds," Jochen Haberstroh, deputy head of archeological monuments with the Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation told Newsweek.

Archaeologists also found evidence of a smaller Roman settlement in the southeastern part of the construction site that likely dates back to around 300 A.D. The evidence includes house plans, four graves and wells.

An enamel brooch was found preserved in one of the wells, while researchers also unearthed a finely crafted bronze buckle in one of the graves, as well as ceramics and the blade of a sickle. The evidence indicates that a Roman farmer was buried in this settlement, Merkur reported.

To date, around 50 percent of the entire construction area has been archaeologically examined, Haberstroh said. Archaeological work continues in neighboring areas. Construction work will begin in the areas that have already been examined starting in spring 2024.

Update 10/24/23, 10:47 a.m. ET: This article was updated with comments from Jochen Haberstroh.