Bizarre 1,350-year-old burial of blue-eyed ‘Ice Prince' uncovered alongside dismembered sacrifice and treasure
A small sword, rare silk clothes and a gold cross were just a handful of the items found with the child, indicating he came from a wealthy family.
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He was buried in leather clothes, according to researchers, with a small sword on a richly decorated belt.
The boy, who experts believe was 2.5-years-old when he died, was buried with silver bracelets on his arms and silver spurs attached to his shoes, according to a statement from the Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation (BLfD).
The boy has been dubbed the "Ice Prince" because archaeologists flash froze the burial chamber using liquid nitrogen to excavate its contents in a single block over 14 hours.
DNA analysis suggested the boy had blue eyes and light-colored hair, while radiocarbon dating indicates he died between A.D. 670 and 680.
A new study of the burial, which was first discovered in the town of Mattsies in Bavaria in 2021, has revealed the body was laid on a fur blanket within the chamber.
One of the boy's garments was a long-sleeved shirt made from linen and trimmed with strips of silk.
Silk was hard to come by at the time, and was only available through the Byzantine Empire, according to LiveScience.
The cross, made from thin strips of gold, may also indicate early Christian beliefs, before Bavaria was Christianised in the eighth century.
A bronze basin, a comb, a wooden bowl and a drinking cup with silver fittings were also placed on a woven mat at the foot of the body.
The remains of hazelnuts, apples and a pear were also found, alongside dismembered remains of an animal.
Experts first thought these bones belonged to a dog.
However, the creature has since been identified as a piglet, which may have been cooked and placed as a food offering.
The latest analysis from BLfD suggests the child died of a "chronic infection" in the middle-ear.
"The boy's death must have shocked his regionally important family," the statement said.
"They apparently made great efforts to give the child a burial in keeping with his social status."
The burial chamber was made of stone, with a stone ceiling that sealed the remains and artefacts off from the world for 1,350 years.
The entire burial, therefore, was in "excellent condition," according to the experts.
While silk is relatively durable, it is still susceptible to degrading over time, which can make long-term preservation challenging.
However, the tightly sealed was able to preserve much of the fabric, researchers said.
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