The so-called disc fibula was given to a 20-year-old woman in the 7th century in her tomb. “This is an extraordinary piece,” Basel cantonal archaeologist Guido Lassau told the media on Friday. Such finds are “pretty singular” in early medieval tombs.
Grave decorations show that the woman had a higher social status. 160 pearls and Roman coins worn as jewelry were also found on it. She came from a family that now owned property in Kleinbasel, which was probably still a rural area then, as Lassau said.
Three weeks ago, Archaeological Soil Survey workers stumbled upon the tombs on Riehentorstrasse in Kleinbasel. These were salvage excavations associated with the expansion of district heating pipes. While the gas line was being laid within the scope of these construction works, the woman’s grave came to light. The woman’s skeleton was accidentally destroyed during construction work in the 20th century, and at that time the jewels remained undiscovered.
Archaeologists have found other tombs with rich gifts. They also found a girl’s grave with gold tassels, belt buckles and 380 pearls. Another tomb of a boy contained, among other things, pieces of silver inlaid belts.
The skeleton of a man with severe wounds on his face was also found. The man received a massive sword blow and lost part of his upper jaw. Lassau explained that the injured man, possibly a swordsman himself, survived and died only years later. This is an indication of advanced medical care in the early Middle Ages.
The early medieval cemetery was known since the 19th century. The latest finds show that the cemeteries are more densely populated than previously thought.
(SDA)