New Gaulish Tombs Discovered in Dijon: Archaeological Find Expands Ancient Site

Archaeologists in Dijon, France, have unearthed five additional skeletons buried in a seated position near the Josephine Baker primary school, adding to a growing and perplexing archaeological find. The discovery, made in early March, follows the unearthing of thirteen similar burials in 2024 and early 2025 at the same location, prompting researchers to reassess the scope and complexity of the site.

The latest finds were made during a second phase of excavations conducted by the National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) as part of planned construction work at the school. Unlike typical burials where individuals are laid reclining, these individuals were interred seated in circular pits, a practice that has baffled archaeologists.

“The five new [skeletons] form another line,” explained Sandra Verne, INRAP Bourgogne-Franche-Comté’s cultural development and communications officer. “In other words, the organization of the site appears more complex than initially thought. The area of these Gauls inhumed in this way, whose practices escape us, is much more vast than we believed.”

The skeletons are believed to date back to the Iron Age and the period of the Gauls, Celtic tribes who inhabited Western Europe between roughly the 5th century B.C. And the 5th century A.D. The unique seated position of the burials is particularly unusual, according to Annamaria Latron, an archaeo-anthropologist, who described it as “atypical” compared to more common burial practices. Latron noted that most burials involve individuals laid on their backs with limbs extended.

The initial discovery of thirteen skeletons in 2024 prompted the current, ongoing excavations. The site has now yielded a total of eighteen individuals buried in this distinctive manner. The arrangement of the skeletons – seated, facing westward, with hands resting in their laps – continues to challenge conventional understanding of Gallic burial rituals.

INRAP officials have not yet offered a definitive explanation for the unusual burial practice and the purpose of the site remains unclear. Further investigation is planned to determine the extent of the burial ground and to gather more clues about the individuals interred there and the beliefs of the people who buried them.