“A discovery like this only happens once in a lifetime”: the treasure of the Prince of Lavau unveiled in Troyes

Who would have said that banal archaeological excavations would give rise to what is already considered one of the greatest discoveries of the 21st century? However, this is what happened between 2014 and 2015 on former agricultural land in Lavau (Aube), when this town to the north of Troyes wanted to develop a commercial area there. “Seen from the sky, we could see that there was something different,” remembers Jacques Gachowski, mayor of Lavau, thinking of the large pile of earth that emerged from the aerial images.

Quickly, the work carried out with archaeologists from INRAP (National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research) will reveal to the whole world this exceptional Celtic tomb of the man who will be called the Prince of Lavau, dated 450 BC. “We were stunned but at the same time extremely happy,” adds Marc Sebeyran, deputy mayor of Troyes in charge of Culture. “During the construction of the A5 motorway, numerous discoveries of chariot tombs from the Celtic era had already been made (the remains of the deceased were buried with a war or ceremonial chariot, Editor’s note). But here, we obviously reach a pinnacle for this princely personality who seemed very important in his time. It is believed that thousands of people attended his funeral rite. »

“A funerary monument estimated at 7,000 m²”

Present from the start of the excavations in Lavau, Bastien Dupuis, archaeologist at INRAP, remembers this adrenaline rush which characterizes major finds. “By stripping the ground, I understood that we were dealing with unusual remains with the presence of a very large funerary monument (estimated at 7,000 m², equivalent to the cathedral of Troyes), and, in the middle, what looked like a very large tomb (14 m²),” recalls the expert.

“And inside, we made this exceptional discovery of a first head of the Greek river god Acheloos, which appeared like that, simply by lifting a hand from the earth. The god looked at us with this slightly mischievous face… and then we understood that we were dealing with a completely exceptional tomb, worthy of the princely tomb of Vix (Côte-d’Or).”

“This tomb is a treasure hunt”

The condition of these remains from the Early Iron Age varies greatly. Some objects have been relatively well preserved and have been partially restored, like one of the jewels of the Trojan exhibition: the large bronze cauldron with handles decorated with felines, which frame the famous head of Acheloos. “It was the main piece of the banquet which, in Greek style, brought together the Celtic elites around the prince. He had been buried with liquid, because we identified a spicy and honey-sweetened wine,” explains Éric Blanchegorge, chief heritage curator for the city of Troyes.

Another remarkable discovery near the prince’s bones: an iron ceremonial knife, restored in its leather sheath embroidered with tin thread. “A sharp object which he probably used to share food and cut meat,” he adds.

Some objects were in significantly worse condition. “We had this prince lying on a two-wheeled chariot, a ceremonial vehicle of which only part of a wheel ultimately remained, because the iron was so chemically dissolved in this burial,” describes Bastien Dupuis. However, elements of this wheel could be recovered to be displayed on a full-size wall plan.

Also worth seeing are metal objects protected from the effects of time. “Obviously the gold survived!” The prince’s golden torque (necklace) appeared to us as it was at the time,” rejoices the archaeologist.

Her colleague Émilie Millet, a specialist in the Iron Age, has worked specifically on metal furniture: “I have a particular affection for the Attic oenochoe, this jug which was used to serve wine, which was embellished by the Celts and perhaps also the Etruscans (pre-Roman civilization of Italy)”, she smiles. Through all the relics of the time, the research is only just beginning. “We thought about future generations by preserving as many samples as possible. Research is always evolving,” she confides.

The prince’s skeleton will not be shown for ethical reasons

Studies will also continue on the prince’s skeleton, which will not be exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in Troyes for ethical and conservation reasons: “Show pathological remains, explain trepanation, a neurosurgery technique, why not? But a skeleton for a skeleton doesn’t make sense,” argues Valérie Delattre, archaeo-anthropologist at INRAP. “What’s more, it is not very presentable because the bone material is extremely degraded, apart from the skull. »

The researcher is however delighted to have been able to define a first identity card for this prince with straight brown hair and dark skin, who died at the age of 30 or 40, coming from a privileged status according to the quality of his teeth and skeleton analyzed by medical imaging at the Grenoble University Hospital (Isère).

Chemical studies proved that the body had been carefully prepared and eviscerated before the funeral. “A discovery like this happens once in a lifetime,” she whispers. “It’s an incredible opportunity and we are all aware of being responsible for a form of transmission, because this tomb is a treasure hunt, it is not an accumulation of objects. There, we have subtle and nuanced things facing each other, symbols… It’s lace, but it’s exhilarating! » she exclaims.

Thanks to the joint work carried out between INRAP and the Restoration and Research Center of the museums of France, the public will be able to discover all of the restored princely furniture from January 24 to June 21, 2026 at the Troyes modern art museum. A chance for this type of discovery after only 10 years of research.

The 80 objects from Aube will be supplemented by 150 pieces from the same period, loaned by French or foreign museums as well as the regional archeology service of the Grand Est. Subsequently, the remains of Lavau’s tomb will join the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts and Archeology of Troyes.