Waldalgesheim chariot burial

About

Waldalgesheim is in the middle Rhine valley to the west of the point where the Rhine is joined by the Nahe. The first objects were found there by the plowman Peter Heckert on 18 October 1869 while digging holes to plant beets. He did not attach any importance to them at first, but a passer-by said they could be historically important. Eventually a Bingen antique dealer bought the pieces for 450 Thaler. Heckert continued to explore, and eventually found over 30 pieces. It was not until the 20th century that it was recognized that the objects dated to the 4th century BC. Objects from the site including gold rings and a bronze pot are held in the Rheinischen Landesmuseum in Bonn.

After the objects had been found the exact location was forgotten and no effort was made to preserve the site. In 1997 Professor Michael Schönherr tried to organize an investigation of the arable area where the site was presumed to be located, based on fragmentary records. He received no response from the state archaeologists apart from a request not to publish the location since that could attract looters. In 2002 it emerged that there were plans to build housing over the plot.