Plan de la tombe de René Joffroy - Map of the tomb made by René Joffroy
In January 1953, archaeologists René Joffroy and Maurice Moisson found this woman’s tomb filled with precious objects known today as the Vix Treasure. This extraordinary discovery was made at the foot of Mont Lassois, near the village of Vix, 6 kilometers north of Châtillon-sur Seine.
The lady, known as the Princess of Vix, was laid down on a wagon box with precious jewelry. The burial chamber also houses the colossal bronze vase and vessel for the banquet.
La figure grimaçante représentée sur les deux anses du vase est celle de la Gorgone Méduse, un personnage de la mythologie grecque. Méduse est habituellement représentée avec une chevelure de serpents qui se contorsionnent sauvagement autour de son visage. Cependant, sur le cratère de Vix, elle présente des cheveux longs et tressés et une frange bouclée tandis que ses jambes sont changées en serpents qui rampent sur le vase. Deux autres serpents lui enserrent les bras, semblant sortir de sa tunique aux motifs d'écailles... L'expression grimaçante son visage, avec sa langue tirée, ses lèvres entrouvertes qui laissent apparaître des dents pointues et son nez froncé, la rend à la fois terrifiante et magnifique. Chaque anse dépeint une version différente de Méduse. La fabrication des anses utilise en effet la technique de la cire perdue, qui nécessite de casser le moule pour obtenir la pièce métallique finale : il faut donc refaire un moule pour chaque pièce.
Adorning the sides of the handles behind the figure of Medusa are four lions, depicted as if they are climbing the volutes. Each lion's head turns in the opposite direction of its movement, showcasing an abundant mane.
Crafted using low-wax casting, each of the four lions displays unique variations.
The frieze depicted on the neck of the vase illustrates a procession of Greek soldiers (hoplites) and chariots drawn by four horses, known as a quadriga, which are driven by an auriga.
Each figure is unique; they were crafted using the low-wax casting method, which necessitates the destruction of the mold to remove the finished item. Despite the individuality of the figures, the frieze conveys a sense of unity.
Each soldier is outfitted in military gear that includes greaves, a helmet, and a shield. The horse-drawn chariots are constructed with two wheels. The legs of the horses are depicted similarly to a hitch. Within each chariot, the heads of the horses rise progressively from the first to the last row, reflecting the different gaits of the horses, from a halt to a gallop.
The silver phiale is a wide and shallow bowl, measuring 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) in width. At its center is the omphalos, a bulge made of gilded silver leaf, which makes the bowl easier to grip.
Archaeologists believe this phiale was likely never used for serving wine to the guests : instead, it served as a religious and ceremonial item. In the Greek world, the phiale is reserved for the Gods : during a banquet, the Celts would always serve the Gods first by filling the phiale with wine and placing it on an altar or the ground before serving their guests.
Other phiales have also been found in the Celtic world. However, the hammered silver work seen in this piece, known from Etruria, Greece, and the Iberian Peninsula, had not been previously observed in Celtic settlements. The phiale from the Vix Treasure is the oldest silver vase discovered north of the Alps and demonstrates the cultural exchange of materials and techniques.
An oenochoe is a wine jug used by the Greeks to draw a mixture of wine and water from the krater and serve it into cups.
The oenochoe of Vix features "a stocky body, a relatively short neck, and an oblique mouthpiece that ends in a spatulate beak." "The lower attachment is of the "anchor" type and has a large, somewhat irregular palmette with thirteen petals, topped by two short, upright stems that end in a button." This Etruscan item traveled through the Alps and spread across a vast geographical area, from Champagne to Bohemia.
The black-figure cup is part of the "Droop cups" collection, distinguished by its unique shape and decorative style. The creator of this style is referred to as the "Painter of Specters" due to the ghostly appearance of his characters. He is particularly known for his battle scenes depicting Greek hoplites and Amazons.
This type of cup was widely distributed throughout the Mediterranean region. Attributing it to the “Painter of Specters” and analyzing its stylistic features suggest a date of around 520-515 BC. The “Bloesch C” black-glazed bowl, which has a low foot, is known to have originated from the Marseille region. A shipment of this type of ware was discovered in a Greek shipwreck near Marseille, and its dating aligns with that of the Droop cups.
While neither of these bowls may be considered masterpieces of Greek ceramic art, a few examples have been found as far north as Burgundy. Their exotic nature makes them highly prestigious pieces of pottery.
Three bronze basins were positioned against the wall of the funerary chamber. Although these basins are not directly related to the banquet, their placement in the tomb suggests that they may have been used in this context.
Two of the basins have a diameter of 35 centimeters and feature handles adorned with three palmettes and ovoid buttons. One of these basins has a beaded cord welded to the top of its wall. These basins, characterized by their handles and flat bottoms, were produced in Etruria. The decoration on the handles is reminiscent of artifacts from the Vulci region, which dates from 510 to 480 B.C. Metallographic analysis conducted by David Bougarit and Benoît Mille indicates that these basins may have originated from the same workshop as the oenoche.
The third basin has a diameter of 55 centimeters and features an umbilicus. Its edge is decorated with an intricate braid, resembling the decoration found on the Lebes of Sainte-Colombe-sur-Seine. This suggests a possible connection between these two tombs, which were created around the same time.
The exact function of these basins remains uncertain. However, it is possible that they were not used for serving food but rather for ablution. Indeed, purification and cleansing, especially of the hands, were important rituals during Greek banquets.
The Princess of Vix was buried wearing a torc and a luxurious set of jewelry.
The torc, a necklace featuring a Celtic design, symbolizes power. It is a gold band that weighs 480 grams (1.80 lbs) and is shaped like an arc, with its two ends resting on a lion paw that is positioned on hollow spheres. This object was initially discovered around the skull of the Princess of Vix during excavations in 1953. At first, it was interpreted as a diadem. However, it is designed to be worn around the neck, like a necklace, by a member of the aristocracy. Its placement in the tomb likely resulted from the tomb's collapse shortly after the burial.
Two small winged horses are depicted at the junction of the sphere and the arc, resting on a filigree cushion made of a network of finely welded, smooth, and pelletized gold wires. The winged horse, known as Pegasus, belongs to Greek mythology and was born from the blood of Medusa, which is represented on the handles of the krater. In contrast, the torc displays traditional Celtic iconography: the two pear-shaped balls symbolize the sun, which is the central theme, while the Pegasus serves as a framing motif, and the lion paws form the supporting pattern. The torc may have been crafted in an indigenous workshop. Through its iconographic elements and method of manufacture, the torque reflects a blend of cultures and a transfer of technology, illustrating the vibrant trade in Europe at the end of the First Iron Age.
The Lady of Vix wore four bracelets on each wrist: two made of amber and six made of lignite, a black rock also called brown coal. Lignite was used for jewelry since the Paleolithic era, but gained popularity during the Iron Age. Its presence in the princely tomb suggests it was a prestigious material at the end of the Hallstatt period. Amber, a fossilized resin, is valued for its honey-like color and translucency, making it ideal for jewelry. It likely originates from the Baltic region, and trade routes from the north to south across Europe helped spread this prized material.
The Dame de Vix wore two bronze ankle rings, made from rounded bronze sheets closed with pins. The surface is decorated with unique incised striations arranged perpendicularly, bordered by semicircular and pointed arches. This rare decoration emphasizes the originality of the jewelry.
A hollow, one-piece torque was positioned on her abdomen. With a diameter of 26.8 centimeters, it is unlikely to serve as a belt, and although it might be seen as a necklace, it could be uncomfortable to wear around the neck. Marks on the torque suggest that it had a leather or fabric trim, likely used to secure it to her garment.
According to René Joffroy's plan, all pearls were found on the chest of the deceased. The collection comprises seven amber pearls, three diorite pearls, and one serpentine pearl, which together form a single necklace that showcases a variety of textures and colors. Diorite, when polished, reveals an attractive blend of white, beige, and black crystals, while polished amber is recognized as a valuable and exotic material. The notable diameter of the pearls, reaching up to 46 millimeters, underscores the prestige of the individual they adorn.
Of the eight fibulae found near the deceased's bones, six are exceptionnal.
One large iron fibula of the Mansfeld F3B type features a false cord and loop. While iron fibulae were rare during the Dame de Vix's burial, they make up 90% of the fibulae offered at the Douix spring in Châtillon-sur-Seine, indicating their high prestige and symbolism. Additionally, five fibulae are decorated with precious materials, combining an amber disc, likely from the Baltic, with a coral cabochon, probably from the Mediterranean. These pieces are refined and elegant adornments.
The deceased rested on a four-wheeled ceremonial chariot decorated with bronze motifs. The iron tires were positioned against the wall of the burial chamber, indicating the wheels had been dismantled. The wood of the wheels has not survived, but fossilized sections in contact with the metal reveal the materials used: the wheels were made of beech, while the hubs (the central circular part of the wheel where the spokes meet) were made of ash.
One short side of the chariot featured openwork plates arranged in a rosette pattern with colonnettes, while the opposite side displayed a different rosette on solid wood. The long sides alternated colonnettes and openwork plates with wheel motifs, creating an elegant balustrade around three sides of the chariot.
Motifs décoratifs de la caisse du char. Plaquettes ajourées
Représentation de la "princesse" de Vix, 1953
How do we reconcile the warrior image of the Celtic and Gallic eras with the evidence of a woman of high social status?
René Joffroy identified the remains as female based on the grave goods: the absence of weapons and the presence of lavish items suggested femininity. Some, however, questioned the skeleton's gender. This uncertainty was possibly influenced by the 1977 discovery of the Hochdorf male grave. In 1980, a study confirmed that the remains belonged to a woman.
Le plateau Saint-Marcel et une partie de ses constructions © Klaus Rothe, sur la base d'une photographie de René Goguey
The tomb was discovered near Vix, located 6 kilometers north of Châtillon-sur-Seine, at the base of Mont Lassois, which stands 109 meters tall. Vix currently has a population of approximately 100 inhabitants. Around 500 BCE, the hill was fortified and supported a population of between 2,500 and 5,000 people, covering an area of about 45 hectares.
Its location by the Seine River was crucial, as it became navigable for flatboats, requiring merchants to stop in Vix to switch from river to land transport. The settlement likely thrived towards the end of the Hallstatt period (550-450 BCE) due to trade along the Seine.
Mont Lassois was also a key crossroads for major Iron Age trade routes. Trade goods included tin from England, coral from the Mediterranean, amber from the Baltic, and oil and wine from Etruscan territories. The Celtic tribes were interconnected through this trade network.
Dessin figurant l'inhumation de la Dame de Vix par Jochen Stuhrmann © Geo Epoche
Vix et le phénomène princier, CARBONE 14, LE MAGAZINE DE L'ARCHÉOLOGIE par Vincent Charpentier, émission du dimanche 3 novembre 2019
