Extensive research conducted by experts from the Bavarian State Office for the Preservation of Monuments (BLfD) shed new light on the life and death of a child buried over 1,350 years ago in Mattsies, southern Germany. Known as the "Ice Prince of Mattsies" due to the innovative method used to preserve his grave, the boy's burial site provided a wealth of information about early medieval elite culture in the region.
Upon completing their study, the researchers were able to reconstruct the life, death, and burial ceremony of the child, who was likely a member of a family of high social standing in the Allgäu region. DNA analysis revealed that the boy had blue eyes and light-colored hair and was likely born in the same area where he was buried. Age estimation based on examination of his teeth showed that he died at about one and a half years old while still nursing. His death was caused by a chronic infection that developed from an untreated ear infection—a common fate in pre-modern times, despite the immune-strengthening effect of breast milk.
The discovery was made four years ago when archaeologists from the BLfD unearthed the child's grave during an excavation in the Mattsies area. The burial chamber was made of stone and sealed with lime mortar—a technique unusual for the time—inside a space that was once a Roman villa. The architectural effort and the quality of the materials indicate that the boy's family wanted to honor him in a special way, as they made great efforts to provide the child with a burial that did justice to his social status.
To preserve the grave's contents intact for study, experts from the BLfD employed a technique: they shock-froze the entire grave, enclosing it in a block of ice, and transported it to the laboratories in Bamberg. "The State Office has entered new territory with the shock-freezing of the child’s grave in 2021. The investigation results now impressively show how much information can be extracted from such an extraordinary grave find with adequate recovery methods and intensive analysis," said Professor Dipl.-Ing. Mathias Pfeil, General Conservator of the BLfD, according to Archaeologie Online.
Inside the grave, the child's body was laid on animal skin and dressed in clothing consisting of leather shoes, trousers, and a linen long-sleeved tunic decorated with fine silk strips. The use of silk—material that at that time reached Europe only through the Byzantine Empire—was a luxury item intended for the elite and represented a status symbol. Silver spurs were attached to his shoes, and silver bracelets adorned his wrists. The sheath of his short sword—more symbolic than functional, given his young age—was decorated with inlaid gold details and elaborate golden embellishments.
Next to him was also found fabric with a cross made of two strips of gold leaf, an element that may indicate the early Christianization of the area or at least the influence of Christian symbols among the upper classes. At the foot of the grave chamber stood objects, presumably on a woven mat, that indicated the high status of the owner. In a bronze basin, there were a comb, a wooden bowl, a round drinking cup with silver fittings, and remains of hazelnuts, apples, and a pear. The utensils found in the grave chamber played a role in representative guest meals, as they were part of a burial symposium ritual. Animal bones, initially thought to be from a dog, were later confirmed to belong to a disassembled piglet, likely sacrificed as a food offering.
The building housing the grave had been remodeled at least twice after the burial, serving as a place of worship and commemoration for decades, perhaps even for generations. The investigations prove that the building was re-roofed twice after the child's burial—a sign that it served as a place of remembrance for the dead over a longer period, according to Enikos. "The child was not only buried grandly, but his memory was carefully honored," noted Pfeil.
Neither the strontium isotopy of the boy's teeth nor the DNA profile contradict the assumption that he grew up in the region. "Everything inside the grave suggests prestige and cultural connections that exceeded local borders," noted Pfeil, according to Enikos. The use of expensive materials and symbols points to a family of high social standing, possibly connected to the elites who had access to luxury goods from distant regions.
According to the results, the boy lived between 670 and 680 CE. The meticulous burial practices and the subsequent reverence shown to his memory reflect the cultural and social dynamics of early medieval Europe, particularly in regions influenced by both lingering Roman traditions and emerging Christian practices.
Written with the help of a news-analysis system.