2,700-Year-Old Noblewoman's Burial Site Discovered in Greece

In east-central Greece, traces of a fortified settlement and a cemetery containing approximately 40 graves dating from 800 to 323 B.C. are being excavated by Maria Papageorgiou of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Phthiotis and Evrytania, as reported by Live Science.

One significant burial site includes the remains of a woman who died between the ages of 20 and 30 in the second half of the seventh century B.C. This period was marked by notable social and political changes leading up to the founding of Athenian democracy in the early sixth century B.C.

The woman, referred to as The Lady with the Inverted Diadem, was buried with a bronze crown placed upside down on her head, possibly signifying the end of her reign due to resignation or removal. The diadem features a large rosette resembling the sun, along with embossed images of facing pairs of male and female lions.

Additional grave goods include buckles, a bronze pin with geometric-style horses, a bronze necklace with a vase-shaped amulet, bone and ivory beads, copper earrings, a bracelet, and spiral rings found on her fingers.

This discovery offers vital insights into the burial practices and societal structures of ancient Greece, particularly regarding the lives of noblewomen during that era.