The photo of an ancient Thracian chariot, accompanied by the remains of two horses and a dog, has quickly gained popularity on Reddit today (Oct. 13), amassing more than 65,000 likes. However, what makes this discovery so thrilling, and who was interred alongside the chariot?

In 2008, a team of archaeologists led by Veselin Ignatov from the Istoricheski muzej Nova Zagora in Bulgaria unearthed the 2,000-year-old wooden chariot. Adorned with bronze decorations that likely depicted scenes from Thracian mythology, though now difficult to discern, the chariot’s exact age is estimated to be closer to 1,800 years old.

In addition to the chariot, Ignatov’s team discovered a brick tomb in 2009 near the site, containing the remains of a man adorned in what appears to be armor. This individual was buried with various artifacts, including gold coins, gold rings, and a silver cup embellished with a depiction of the Greek god Eros (Cupid in Roman mythology). The man likely held a prominent position in ancient Thracian society, possibly a nobleman or ruler.

Chariot burials are a recurring discovery in Bulgaria, dating back approximately 2,500 years. According to Ignatov’s research published in Archaeologia Bulgarica in 2007, the practice of burying noblemen near chariots gained popularity during the Roman Empire era, spanning from roughly 2,100 to 1,500 years ago.