Funeral furnishings from a princely tomb

This burial, with furnishings of exceptional quality, was unearthed by chance during loess extraction work in a tile factory in Hochfelden. Study of the skeleton led anthropologists to identify a woman aged between 50 and 70 years old, and to determine her height as being not more than approximately 1.50 metres. Signs of damage observed on the longer bones also indicated prolonged and regular horse-riding.

The furniture of this female burial proved to be remarkably rich. There were numerous objects of eastern origin. The following objects were found:

- a pair of Gothic type silver fibulae placed obliquely and pointing upwards, on either side of the thorax
- a circular mirror in moulded and polished silver, located beneath the neck vertebrae
- a necklace braided with fine gold threads around the neck
- a pair of gold earrings found on either side of the skull
- dozens of gold foil plaquettes – traces of garment decoration – placed, following eastern practice, on the neckline and at the level of the wrists and elbows
- a glass goblet placed above and to the left of the head.
The funerary furniture attests that the deceased was a high-ranking woman, belonging to the military aristocracy of Attila's Empire. Her family undoubtedly came to the Rhineland in the early 5th century AD, to serve in the Roman army, at that time a source of wealth and power.