Archaeologists Stunned to Discover 'The Most Elaborately Equipped Warrior Grave Ever Found in England'

The world has gone through many wars, to which multiple individuals have contributed. These individuals oftentimes get lost in history. One such case appeared in front of archaeologists in 2008 in the U.K., stated The News. The discovery happened in North Bersted during excavations before a Berkeley Homes housing development.

In 2008, archaeologists uncovered an Iron Age grave from North Bersted. After the examinations, researchers concluded that a warrior had been buried inside the grave. The warrior was possibly laid to rest with an ornate headdress. Based on the information researchers garnered from the grave, the experts concluded that the individual buried here was a refugee French Gallic fighter who supposedly escaped from Julius Caesar's legionnaires in Europe around 50 B.C. The grave contained a helmet with ornate work that once shined like gold, a sword, food remains, a shield, and a spear, stated The Guardian.

Several archaeologists were stunned to witness the grave, with many claiming that it was one of the most elaborately decorated graves to be discovered in England. Even though the grave was spotted in 2008, it took almost a decade for experts to prepare the artefacts in the burial place for display. The features of the grave make it stand apart from others of its kind in the area. "It really is absolutely a unique find in the British Isles and in the wider continent, we don't have another burial that combines this quality of weaponry and Celtic art with a date that puts it around the time of Caesar's attempted conquest of Britain," Dr Melanie Giles, senior lecturer in archaeology at the University of Manchester said, stated The News.

Researchers are yet to figure out the individual's identity. Experts further claim that knowing the individual's name might always remain a near-impossible challenge. "We will probably never know his name, what we know from the archaeology is that he is either someone from eastern England who may have gone and fought with the Gauls that we know was a problem for Caesar....Or he might be a Frenchman himself who flees that conflict, possibly a real-life Asterixand coming to us, just as in Asterix in Britain, to lend us aid in terms of the knowledge he has about strategy, tactics, he knows Caesar is going to try to divide and rule," Dr. Giles said.

Asterix is a fictional character in a comic book series of the same name, stated The Guardian. The character was a brave Gaulish warrior who was living in the time of the Gallic Wars in Britain. Archaeologists found weapons inside the grave, whose features were distinct from the typical tools used in the region during the Iron Age. The sword and helmet's design were unique, with the latter exhibiting Celtic openwork crests. The artifacts inside the burial place enhanced the warrior's image. "He brings that awe and intimidation with him; you can imagine him riding around on horseback, galvanising the local people, training, helping to put in place strategies to try and hold Rome at bay as best as possible," Dr. Giles added, stated The News.

The exceptional value of items found inside the grave made experts think that the warrior was possibly a military leader for King Commius. "Due to the richness of the finds within the grave, we believe that the mystery warrior held one of the most prestigious roles in the country," shared James Kenny, Chichester District Council's archaeologist. "This is one of the most exceptional finds in this particular archaeological period and is of international significance.'