Archaeologists in Serbia have unearthed the remains of a beautifully decorated chariot, which is thought to be as old as 4,000 years.  It is believed to have belonged to a member of the Thracian elite.

The Thracians were a group of Indo-European tribes inhabiting a large area in Central and Southeastern Europe who were first mentioned in Homer’s ‘Iliad’, where they were described as allies of the Trojans in the Trojan War against the Greeks. They were known to be fierce warriors and horse-breeders who established a powerful kingdom.

According to archaeologist Zoran Mitic, who made the discovery, it is a “unique and extremely important item” which was found near the village of Stanicenje, in the south east of Serbia.  In the same area, archaeologists also uncovered a tumulus (tomb).

“Judging by the manner of burial, I guess that it was a member of Thracian people, not ordinary, but someone who occupied an important place in the hierarchy, due to the fact that the chariot is decorated with beautiful bronze applications,” said Mitic.

The chariot would have been drawn by two horses, and echoes another discovery made just a few months ago in Bulgaria of a complete Thracian chariot and two horses that were buried upright. It was found in a tomb along with other artefacts and it is ᴀssumed that both the chariot and horses belonged to the deceased.

Sadly, it appeared that chariot was placed in a narrow hole with a sloping side to allow horses, decorated with elaborate harnesses, to pull it into its final resting place, after which they were killed. Experts reached this conclusion after noticing that the horses were still attached to their harnesses and to the carriage.