Mystery surrounds death of woman and child found in 2,400-year-old German graves
Ancient archaeological finds, some dating back 7,000 years, were unearthed during the construction of an industrial park in southwestern Germany.
Archaeologists have documented more than 1,100 finds, including graves, pottery, tools, jewelry, a meat-cooking pit and “longhouses”, at the site, according to a May 14 news release from Vaihingen an der Enz officials.
Officials said the discoveries will reveal the much longer history of Vaihingen an der Enz and the region more broadly. The town already has a long recorded history, with its first mention 1,246 years ago, according to the release.
One of the first discoveries was the remains of a man, estimated to have lived nearly 5,000 years ago, buried with an ax fitted with a polished stone blade, according to the release. Officials said the burial did not show signs of a violent death, and the ax was likely a grave offering.
A second set of graves painted a much less dignified picture, according to officials.
The remains of a woman and a young girl, dating back to about 400 B.C., appeared to have been dumped rather than buried with any kind of intention, according to the release.
The child was draped across the legs of the woman, officials said. Experts hypothesize they may have died from suffocation, per the release.
The two were wearing Celtic-period jewelry. The child wore two bronze bracelets, and the woman wore a necklace made from blue glass beads, officials said.
Experts will continue to date and analyze the finds, officials said.
Vaihingen an der Enz is about a 165-mile drive northwest from Munich.
Google Translate and Translate GPT were used to translate the news release from Vaihingen an der Enz officials.
This story was originally published May 28, 2025 at 5:57 PM with the headline "Mystery surrounds death of woman and child found in 2,400-year-old German graves."
