Massive Iron Age hoards discovered in England may be from funeral of powerful Celtic queen

A look down into an excavation site, where two women crouch to the right, collecting samples from half-unearthed stones.

Two massive Iron Age hoards of burned metal weapons, vessels, and chariots or carts, found in the north of England, may have been part of a royal funeral, possibly for a queen, archaeologists say.

A metal detectorist found the hoards in 2021 near the village of Melsonby in Yorkshire and alerted archaeologists. Excavators discovered two separate deposits with a total of more than 950 artifacts, including iron "tires" for wooden wheels, a cauldron, an ornate wine-mixing bowl and ceremonial spearheads.