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The wooden coffins on display feature illustrations of the Roman-era “princess” originally buried within them. |Image credit: © 2026 Chmiel-Chrzanowska et al., Archeology
A long-standing mystery about when an ancient European “princess” buried in a wooden coffin died has finally been solved, a new study reports.
The woman’s wooden coffin was first discovered in 1899 in the village of Bagicz in northwestern Poland, after falling from an eroding cliff. Archaeologists nicknamed her “Princess Bagiz” because of her unique burial style and well-preserved artifacts. For decades, researchers determined that she died in Roman times, but analyzes gave conflicting dates spanning nearly 300 years.
Wooden coffins are rarely found in archaeological excavations because they disintegrate over time. The sarcophagus found at Bagiz is the only well-preserved wooden sarcophagus of its kind from the Roman Iron Age, researchers wrote in a study published February 9 in the journal archeology. The researchers wrote that the tomb at Bagiz was special because the coffin and lid were carved from a single tree trunk. Because the coffin was located in a moist environment, it is likely that the coffin has survived into modern times.
The coffin interior comes from a larger cemetery associated with this tomb Welbach Culture related to GothsIt was the skeleton of an adult woman, buried in cowhide, along with a bronze brooch, a necklace of glass and amber beads, and a pair of bronze bracelets.
Archaeological examination of the style of grave goods in the 1980s showed that Princess Bagiz died between AD 110 and AD 160. But in 2018, carbon dating analysis of the woman’s teeth yielded a date between 113 BC and AD 65, suggesting she was much older than the artifacts she was buried with.
To resolve this difference, by Marta Chimir KhrzhanowskaArchaeologists at the University of Szczecin in Poland dated the wooden coffin itself using dendrochronological analysis, which involves counting tree rings. They collected a small core of wood from the coffin and compared the growth rings with the established chronology of northwestern Poland.
“The estimated felling date of the oak tree used for the coffin is AD 120,” the researchers wrote in the study. “The coffin was likely made immediately after felling.”
The researchers concluded that the radiocarbon dating of the woman’s tooth may be incorrect, given that her grave goods and coffin were from the same period, and that the tooth may have been discarded due to the woman’s diet or water source.
File photo of the woman buried in a bagiz wooden coffin. |Image credit: © 2026 Chmiel-Chrzanowska et al., Archeology
Scientists have learned that radiocarbon dating can be off by up to 1,200 years if organic samples come from marine life rather than land life, because the carbon stored in the ocean is older than the carbon found on land. this is called ocean reservoir effect And causes marine life to appear older than it actually is when carbon dated. Likewise, eating lots of seafood can push back humans’ carbon dates by tens or hundreds of years. This may be the case with Princess Bagiz.
“This burial provides rare insights into the preservation of wooden coffins in the Welbach culture, providing valuable data on funerary customs and environmental conditions that allowed for the exceptional preservation of organic materials,” the researchers wrote.
While the mystery of Princess Bagiz’s death date has been solved, there is still more to know about her and her things. culture.
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“The woman did not show any paleopathological features that would indicate a cause of death,” Chmiel-Chrzanowska told Live Science in an email. But she did suffer from osteoarthritis, which was likely due to work-related overuse, given that she was 25 to 35 years old at the time of her death. Chmiel-Chrzanowska wrote in an article that her osteoarthritis also suggested that the woman was a typical representative of Vilbachian culture rather than a princess. Previous research.
“Next week, I’m going to Warsaw DNA Chmiel-Chrzanowska said “we will conduct tests” to learn more about the woman. Previous attempts at DNA analysis of the skeleton were unsuccessful. “We’re going to try to drill into the skull and get material from the temporal bone.” [skull] bone without damaging it,” she added.