Embalmed heads of the Celtic Iron Age in the south of France

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dc.contributor.authorGhezal, S.
dc.contributor.authorCiesielski, E.
dc.contributor.authorGirard, B.
dc.contributor.authorCreuzieux, A.
dc.contributor.authorGosnell, Peter
dc.contributor.authorMathe, C.
dc.contributor.authorVieillescazes, C.
dc.contributor.authorRoure, R.
dc.contributor.funderAgence Nationale de la Rechercheen
dc.date.accessioned2022-09-22T15:05:12Z
dc.date.available2022-09-22T15:05:12Z
dc.date.issued2018-11-07
dc.date.updated2022-09-22T15:00:36Z
dc.description.abstractAncient texts described that one of the most impressive ritual practices of the Celts during the Iron Age was to remove the heads of enemies killed in battle and to embalm them for display in front of the victors dwellings. An archaeological settlement excavation site in Le Cailar, in southern France, has revealed a considerable number of examples of this practice. It was documented by Classical authors and later by the archaeological recording of iconographic representations and skeletal remains of human heads. Weapons were also exhibited alongside the severed heads. Here we report the results of chemical investigations for the characterization of the biomarkers of embalming that are likely to be present in eleven fragments of these human cranial remains. These results may lead to answers to some of the archaeometric questions related to the subject of embalming in 3rd century BC Transalpine Gaul, thus advancing the knowledge of these ritual practices, documented by Greek Classical authors as part of the wider research into the proto-historic societies of the Mediterranean coastal region.en
dc.description.sponsorshipLabex Archimede (Archéologie et Histoire de la Méditerranée et de l'Egypte anciennes, (ANR-11-LABX-0032-01)en
dc.description.statusPeer revieweden
dc.description.versionAccepted Versionen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.citationGhezal, S., Ciesielski, E., Girard, B., Creuzieux, A., Gosnell, P., Mathe, C., Vieillescazes, C. and Roure, R. (2019) 'Embalmed heads of the Celtic Iron Age in the south of France'. Journal of Archaeological Science, 101, pp. 181-188. doi: 10.1016/j.jas.2018.09.011en
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.jas.2018.09.011en
dc.identifier.endpage188en
dc.identifier.issn0305-4403
dc.identifier.journaltitleJournal of Archaeological Scienceen
dc.identifier.startpage181en
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10468/13648
dc.identifier.volume101en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherElsevieren
dc.relation.urihttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2018.09.011
dc.rights© 2018 published by Elsevier. This manuscript is made available under the Elsevier user license https://www.elsevier.com/open-access/userlicense/1.0en
dc.rights.urihttps://www.elsevier.com/open-access/userlicense/1.0en
dc.subjectCeltsen
dc.subjectChemical analysesen
dc.subjectEmbalmingen
dc.subjectIron Ageen
dc.subjectSevered headsen
dc.titleEmbalmed heads of the Celtic Iron Age in the south of Franceen
dc.typeArticle (peer-reviewed)en
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