wagon burial
[MC]
A kind of aristocratic burial characteristic of the central European Hallstatt Culture, in which individuals were buried with a four-wheeled funeral wagon under a tumulus. Excavated examples include the Hohmichele tomb beside the upper Danube, and the Vix burial beside the upper Seine. The tradition of vehicle burial continues into the La Tène, Switzerland Iron Age, the four-wheeled wagon being superseded by the two-wheeled chariot or cart burial. In both variants the vehicle is sometimes intact, but most frequently dismantled before being placed in the grave. The horse teams, occasionally buried with the vehicle, are more commonly indicated only by the presence of harness and bridle fittings. Some wagon graves are richly furnished with personal items, weapons, and feasting equipment and provisions.
