A team of researchers studying the early medieval necropolis, which has spanned since 2015, has recently excavated. an intact tombbelonged to a grown man. Besides human remains, they discovered a number of weapons, including a shield, a heavy knife, and a spearhead.

It is noteworthy that the tomb contains the remains of the scabbard and an almost complete set of weapons for that time – the spata, a straight and long double-edged sword about 93 centimeters long, and the britsak, a short, single-edged sword. It is also interesting that there is no publication that complements the known armament of that period.

The tomb is in good condition so scientists have a lot of work to do / Photo: Christoph Bassler, Stadt Ingelheim

The tomb was undamaged

Although many tombs in the necropolis were looted centuries ago, this particular burial seems to have survived such encroachments. Experts from the Imperial Palace research center in Ingelheim evaluated the unique shield found in the tomb and suggested a preliminary dating – 7th century ADIt coincides with the reign of the Merovingian dynasty, the first rulers of the Frankish people.

Anthropological analysis made it possible to determine the age of the warrior at the time of his death: according to estimates, he 30 to 40 years. However, the circumstances leading up to his death remain a subject of speculation.

The discovery of this well-equipped warrior burial offers an intriguing glimpse into the early Middle Ages, allowing researchers to better study the weapons of the time. As experts continue their comprehensive analysis, the findings promise to further enrich our understanding of the Merovingian reign.