(source: Courtesy of Matúš Sládok)
Hunters discovered skeletal remains while hunting for foxes. They reported their findings to the police and contacted employees of the Regional Monuments Board (KPÚ) Trnava.
It turns out they stumbled upon a 4000 year-old grave.
"The skeleton was found in the southern part of Galanta," said Matúš Sládok of KPÚ Trnava, as quoted by the TASR newswire.
Hair rings in the shape of willow leaf
After the initial inspection, the team decided to start researching the findings immediately due to the risk of robbery of or damage to the grave.
The work on that day ended in the dark, and later, they completed documentation. Archaeologists from West Slovak Museum in Trnava and a volunteer from the Hradiská Civic Association, alongside the hunters, helped the KPU Trnava workers.
“The grave was dated thanks to a copper temple ring - hair rings in the shape of willow leaf from the classic phase of Nitra culture from the older bronze age (the period between 2150 and 1930 BC),” Sládok added, as quoted by TASR.
Bigger burial site
Besides temple rings in the grave, they found more than 50 cylindrical beads with a circular hole in the centre of a bone or antlers. Temple rings and beads are typical of women's graves.
"During the investigation, we found out from the police officers that the site had already been found in the past, but this was not reported to KPÚ Trnava. Due to the culture of Nitra, we assume such a burial ground could be larger, and so KPÚ Trnava is paying attention to the site," Sládok said, as quoted by TASR.
