Posted on 08/02/2014 12:51:14 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
A team of archaeologists working on a site at Saint-Aubin-des-Champs in France have discovered the remains of a Merovingian necropolis dating to the 5th -7th centuries AD...
The graves were found at a variety of depths with some up to 1.50 m deep. Each burial contained the deceased once contained within a wooden coffin, now completely rotted away.
An examination of the contents of these burials allowed them to be split into three main groups or periods of inhumation.
Fewer grave goods are in evidence after 5th century AD as the population has become Christian.
7th century AD burials are characterised with individuals wearing simple or highly decorated belt buckles of bronze or iron.
In one of the earlier graves, archaeologists have unearthed the skeleton of an adult man with a particularly rich assemblage of twenty grave goods consisting of ceramics, glassware, a bronze basin, tin plate, even a wooden bucket with bronze strapping, a decorated Frankish axe, spear, dagger in his belt and silver coin deposited on the mouth. This man went well dressed into the afterlife, as he was even wearing a pair of shoes...
Archaeologists have come to the conclusion that this was the cemetery of a small village community, who lived in Évrecy between the fifth and seventh centuries AD. This cemetery was abandoned in the late seventh century, probably in favour of another burial site...
This will allow researchers to conduct a comprehensive study on the history and lifestyle of this community and will become a major reference in the study of burial practices in Lower Normandy, during the period that witnessed the transitional period between the end of the Roman Empire and the beginnings of Christianity and medieval Europe.
(Excerpt) Read more at pasthorizonspr.com ...
I think they’re entirely significant.
One minor quibble with the article. The local population was already predominately Christian. After winning a battle, Clovis adopted his wife’s Christian faith, after which the Merovingians followed suit.
Thanks ct.
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