In archaeology, one discovery can make your entire career. That’s definitely the case for a team from the University of Leicester, who recently unearthed the bronze fittings of the remains of an elaborate Iron Age chariot, believed to date back to the 2nd or 3rd century BC. The archaeologists believe the chariot, found at the Burrough Hill Iron Age hillfort, near Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, was buried as a religious offering.

“This is the most remarkable discovery of material we made at Burrough Hill in the five years we worked on the site. This is a very rare discovery, and a strong sign of the prestige of the site. “The atmosphere at the dig on the day was a mix of ‘tremendously excited’ and ‘slightly shell-shocked’. I have been excavating for 25 years and I have never found one of these pieces – let alone a whole set. It is a once-in-a-career discovery.”

It all began when the team was digging in a large pit near a house on the settlement. One student uncovered a bronze piece, and further investigation revealed the full bounty collected nearby. Cleaning revealed that the pieces had clear, elaborate markings.

“Realising that I was actually uncovering a hoard that was carefully placed there hundreds of years ago made it the find of a lifetime. Looking at the objects now they have been cleaned makes me even more proud, and I can’t wait for them to go on display,” said Nora Battermann, one of the students who made the discovery.

The researchers don’t believe that the fittings were buried while attached to their chariot; they appear to have been boxed up with other items near and dear to the deceased. Iron tools were also found nearby, some of which appeared to have clear equestrian uses.