Scientists discovered the remains of a man buried 1,400 years ago, near a headless horse in an ancient cemetery in the town of Knittlingen, southern Germany, Live Science reported on February 2. This person was most likely the owner or rider of the horse.

The man was buried during the period when the Merovingian dynasty (476 – 750) flourished in the region, dominating the vast territory of what is now France and Central Europe. While alive, he may have served the kings of the dynasty.

“The man was in the ‘chain of command’ with the Merovingian kings at the top, meaning he was obliged to participate in the king’s campaigns. As a member of the local upper class, this man was probably was the owner of a farming household consisting of family members and servants,” said Folke Damminger, an archaeologist in charge of site research in the town of Knittlingen. However, according to Damminger, the man was not a farmer if judged strictly, since it was likely that most of the farming was done by other workers.

The team of experts is not sure exactly why the man was buried near a headless horse. However, it is highly likely that the beheading of the horse was part of the burial ritual, according to Damminger. The horse may have been placed near its owner as a burial item for the afterlife rather than as a sacrifice. Currently, scientists have not yet found the horse’s head.

Family members wanted to present the man as a wealthy and important individual in order to benefit from his status. “One function of the ceremony is to ‘represent’ the dead with their former status and wealth as an affirmation by their successors to maintain that status,” Damminger said.

The team of archaeologists also discovered the remains of a number of other people from the same era as the horse rider in the ancient cemetery. Some were buried with valuable burial items, such as a woman with a gold brooch. Some men were buried with weapons such as swords, spears, shields and arrowheads.

Researchers will continue to study the tomb with the headless horse and excavate other graves in the cemetery. Damminger said they are excavating and restoring the mysterious man’s burial items. They will then conduct an anthropological analysis of the man’s bones and teeth to learn about his health, age and cause of death.