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In a recent study, Dr. Agata Hałuszko and colleagues discovered an ornament made from beetles in a cremation grave in Domasław, Poland. The work is in the journal Antiquity.

The cremation grave belonged to one of 800 discovered in the Lusatian Urnfield culture cemetery, dated to the Hallstatt period (approximately 850 to 400 BC).

Grave 543 contained various urns, each containing a single human individual. Urn 1 specifically contained the remains of a 9 to 10-year-old child, together with some goat or sheep bones, a bronze, harp-shaped fibula, a braid, birch bark fragments, pollen from the common dandelion, and 17 insect exoskeletons.

These exoskeletons belonged to a weevil beetle of the species Phyllobius viridicollis.

In total, 12 whole fragments and five fragmentary pieces of the beetle species could be recovered. This species of beetle typically emerges in May and remains until July. Their presence in Urn 1 indicates that the burial of the child likely took place in late spring or early summer.

Additionally, further examination revealed the beetles had likely been deliberately included in the burial. Their uniform appearance, as well as the seemingly deliberate removal of the heads, legs, and abdomens of the beetles, spoke to intentional manipulation. Some of these beetle parts had also been found strung onto a preserved blade of grass, similar to a necklace.

Dr. Hałuszko explains how such fragile remains could have been preserved. "Extremely delicate organic artifacts generally only have a chance to survive in special environments such as wetlands (e.g., bog bodies), or in association with metal objects.

"Bronze, with its high copper content, often plays a key role: when it corrodes, producing the characteristic green patina, the corrosion can impregnate adjacent organic items such as our beetle-shell ornament, textiles, or even floral remains.

"In this way, they can be naturally 'conserved.' With very careful and precise excavation, these traces can be documented and then further investigated under an optical microscope, and later examined in greater detail using scanning electron microscopy."

Exactly why the beetle was interred is uncertain; however, using beetles as jewelry is not unheard of.

Some ethnographic accounts of the Slavic ethnic group, Hutsuls, may provide some insights. This group, which is typically found in western Ukraine and northern Romania, was known to have made necklaces of rose chafers and copper chafers. These necklaces typically consisted of around 80 beetles, and were thought to provide property to the girls who wore them.

Similarly, beetle jewelry was popular during the Victorian era in Britain (AD 1837–1901).

If the Phyllobius viridicollis in grave 543 served a similar purpose, it is difficult to say; however, they may have been part of a necklace placed within a birch bark container, or they were used to decorate the container or the harp-shaped fibula.

According to Dr. Hałuszko, however, it seems likely that the strung-up beetle ornament was specifically created for the burial.

"It is difficult to give a definitive answer. Ethnographic parallels show that such insect-based ornaments were extremely ephemeral. Given their fragile and short-lived nature, it seems more likely that this particular ornament was created specifically for the burial, rather than being a long-used personal possession."

The presence alone, however, provides insights into the deliberate utilization of faunal materials, specifically beetles, in the symbolic and ornamental capabilities of this culture. However, due to their inherent ephemeral nature, archaeological evidence of such practices is typically exceedingly rare.

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