idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
In advance of the construction of the future SuedOstLink power line, archaeological investigations are currently being carried out by the State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology (LDA) Saxony-Anhalt in close coordination with the grid operator 50Hertz. Now, an unusual burial has been discovered in a kiln pit dating back to the Corded Ware culture (approximately 2900-2050 BC) near Gerstewitz, Burgenland district.
In advance of the construction of the SuedOstLink high-voltage direct current transmission line, archaeological investigations are currently being carried out by the State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology (LDA) Saxony-Anhalt in close coordination with the transmission system operator 50Hertz. At various points along the route, these investigations are providing significant, and sometimes surprising, new insights into the history of land-use between Wolmirstedt and the southern state border near Droyßig.
For several months now, work on the power line has required repeated excavations near Gerstewitz. Traces of settlement stretching over approximately 6,000 years have been discovered on a hill located there. During the Baalberge culture (around 4000-3400 BC), a burial mound up to 15 meters high was constructed, covering a wooden burial chamber. During the Salzmünde culture (around 3400-3100 BC), a triple rampart and ditch system existed at the site, within which complex ceremonies were apparently performed. Remains of burned houses and offerings such as animal and human bones were deposited in pits of 2 to 2.5 meters depth.
Archaeologists have now unearthed an extraordinary Corded Ware Culture burial (circa 2900-2050 BC) at Gerstewitz. The deceased male, approximately 25 years old, lay in a kiln pit consisting of two interconnected underground chambers. The crouched position with the body lying on the right side facing south is typical for Corded Ware male graves. His upper body is noticeably shifted, suggesting he may have been lying originally on a layer of organic matter. The unusual burial site is striking – other kiln pits are usually devoid of finds. Furthermore, the deceased's skull shows signs of injury. Was he the victim of a prehistoric murder, or was he hastily buried in an existing pit after a battle that ended badly? There is also a third possibility. Corded Ware kiln pits in rare cases contain complete cattle skeletons or partially dismembered dog skeletons. Such deposits may have been sacrificial offerings. Laboratory analysis will provide further insights into the mysterious burial discovered at Gerstewitz.
Gerstewitz. Burial of a Corded Ware Culture individual in a kiln pit.
Source: Christian Pabst
Copyright: State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt
Criteria of this press release:
Journalists, Scientists and scholars
History / archaeology
transregional, national
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English
Gerstewitz. Burial of a Corded Ware Culture individual in a kiln pit.
Source: Christian Pabst
Copyright: State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt
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