The
2,500 year old royal grave, which is thought to date to the fifth
century BC, was discovered in Lavau, near Troyes, is thought to have
belonged to a member of a Celtic royal family.
Lying
at the centre of the tomb, the skeleton had been laid to rest inside an
ornate two-wheeled chariot with a 580g (1.2lbs) golden torque decorated
with elaborate winged monsters around its neck.
However,
French archaeologists who have been leading the excavation have yet to
establish the sex of the individual in the tomb, but believe it may have
been a Celtic prince or princess of Lavau.
The strange assortment of items found alongside the body have added to the mystery of who the tomb belonged to.
There have been several tombs of princesses from fifth century BC found
in north east France, including the Lady of Vix, which was discovered in
northern Burgundy in 1953.