Археологичид 2300 жилийн настай суурингийн малтлагаар эртний боолчлолын тогтолцоог гэрчлэх ховор олдворуудыг илрүүлжээ.
Францын баруун хэсэгт орших Аллонн сууринд хоёр жилийн турш үргэлжилсэн малтлагын явцад МЭӨ III зуунд хамаарах таван төмөр дөнгө олдсон байна. Францын Урьдчилан сэргийлэх археологийн судалгааны үндэсний хүрээлэнгийн (INRAP) мэдээлснээр, бугуй болон шагайн дөнгөний хэлтэрхийнүүд олдсон нь тухайн үед боол худалдаалдаг байсныг илтгэх маш ховор баримт болжээ. Судлаач Тьерри Лежарс эдгээр зэвсэг болон дөнгө нь нийгмийн бүтэц эрх мэдэлтнүүд болон боол, хоригдлуудаас бүрдэж байсныг баталж байна гэвэл.
Тус сууринд хийсэн малтлагаар сэлэм, жадны үзүүр, түлхүүр зэрэг өндөр чанарын металл эдлэлүүд олон тоогоор олдсон нь тухайн газар дархан, зэс болон хүрэл урлаачид төвлөрч байсныг харуулж байна. Нэгэн бугуйн дөнгөний диаметр нь ердөө 6 см байсан нь эмэгтэйчүүд эсвэл хүүхдүүдийг боолчилдог байсан байж болзошгүйг харуулж байгаа бол 1 кг-аас илүү жинтэй шагайн дөнгө нь боолуудын амьдралын хүнд нөхцөлийг илтгэж байна.
Суурингийн хажууд байрлах шашны сүмээс олдсон хувцас, бөгж, сахиус зэрэг эд зүйлс нь тухайн үеийн зан үйлийн талаарх ойлголтыг баяжуулжээ. Археологич Изабелль Боллард-Райногийн тайлбарласнаар, малтлагаар олдсон зоосны гуравны нэг нь зориудаар эвдэрхий эсвэл зураастай байгаа нь тэдгээрийг арилжааны бус, бурханд өргөх тахилын зориулалтаар ашиглаж байсныг илтгэж байна.
Дэлгэрэнгүйг эх сурвалжаас харах
↓Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
Five iron shackles uncovered at a 2,300-year-old Celtic settlement in Allonnes, western France. The restraints, discovered alongside weapons, ritual objects, and hundreds of ancient coins, are considered exceptionally rare for the period and could point to the settlement’s role in the slave trade.
The finds come from a two-year excavation at a site established in the third century B.C. next to a religious sanctuary in the Loire Valley. While the excavation uncovered plenty of evidence of skilled metalworking, the shackles were one of the biggest surprises.
The discoveries add another layer to what archaeologists know about the settlement. The French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) says the site brought together specialist craftsmen, religious activity, and, possibly, the trading of enslaved people.
An Unexpected Find At A Busy Metalworking Center
Excavators recovered a wide range of high-quality metal objects, including swords, spearheads, keys, and horse harness fittings. The settlement was home to blacksmiths, coppersmiths, bronze workers, and sheet-metal workers, showing that metalworking was one of its main activities.
Among those discoveries were five iron restraints: a double wrist shackle, an ankle shackle, and three fragments of other restraints. INRAP describes these objects as “extremely rare” for the Late Iron Age, making them one of the most remarkable discoveries from the excavation.
The settlement itself was founded in the third century B.C. beside a religious complex. Archaeologists expected evidence of craft production and ritual practices, but the restraints revealed a very different aspect of life at the site.
Archaeologists Say Shackles Point to Slavery
The discovery has led researchers to suggest that Allonnes may have been connected to the slave trade during the Late Iron Age, which lasted from 450 to 50 B.C. In an interview published by INRAP, Celtic metalwork specialist Thierry Lejars said:
“The identification of restraints and weapons suggests a hierarchical social organization composed of dominant and subordinate groups — prisoners or slaves.”
The institute explains that the Gauls, a loose association of Celtic tribes, enslaved prisoners of war, convicted people, and debtors. Once enslaved, men, women, and children lost their rights, could be bought and sold, and were often forced to work in the fields.
One detail stood out during the study of the restraints. The wrist shackle measures just 6 centimeters (2.4 inches) in diameter, suggesting it may have been intended for a woman or a child. The ankle restraint weighs more than 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds), illustrating the weight carried by the people forced to wear it.
Ritual Offerings Reveal More Than Expected
The excavation uncovered more than evidence of daily life. Archaeologists also found a religious sanctuary containing clothing, rings, amulets, and other personal belongings left as offerings.
INRAP reports that many of these objects had been deliberately bent or damaged before being deposited, likely to transform ordinary possessions into gifts for the gods.
Hundreds of coins were also recovered, with minting dates spanning more than five centuries. Speaking through INRAP, ancient-coin specialist Isabelle Bollard-Raineau said that about one-third of the coins had been filed, sheared, or marked with a chisel. She explained that:
“These mutilations reveal a ritual intention: the removal of the coin’s commercial function in order to dedicate the object to the sacred, thereby ensuring the permanence of the offering.”
Enjoyed this article? Subscribe to our free newsletter for engaging stories, exclusive content, and the latest news.
