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The approximately 9,000-year-old grave of the shaman of Bad Dürrenberg is one of the most spectacular finds in Central European archaeology. Excavated under considerable time pressure in 1934, subsequent investigations at the site from 2019 onwards allowed for the recovery of remains of the burial pit, which were then removed as a block and examined under laboratory conditions. Pollen analysis now suggests that flowering plants were placed in the grave with the deceased. The flowering periods of the plants found in the head area possibly indicate a burial in July.
The grave of the shaman from Bad Dürrenberg (Saalekreis district) is one of the most spectacular finds in Central European archaeology. In the Mesolithic period, around 9,000 years ago, a woman between 30 and 40 years old was buried here, with a child of approximately six months old placed in her arms. Among other things, a headdress made of deer antler and pendants of animal teeth indicate the deceased woman's special position as a shaman, the spiritual leader of her group.
Discovered by chance during earthwork in 1934, the grave goods had to be recovered within a single afternoon. Since December 2019, excavations had been taking place in the area of the presumed site of the shaman's grave in the spa park of Bad Dürrenberg in preparation for the state garden show. The site was indeed located. Because the original excavation had only involved a narrow trench, parts of the grave pit, which was interspersed with red ochre, remained undisturbed. Numerous finds overlooked in 1934 were recovered, and the remains of the grave pit were examined by an international research team using the latest scientific methods. This also revealed evidence of grave goods that have not survived the passage of time. Pollen analysis provides an indication of floral decorations in the head area of the shaman.
Pollen from flowering plants in the grave of the Bad Dürrenberg shaman
Flowers or flowering plants as grave goods have been discussed in connection with the earliest known burials. For example, an unusually high concentration of flower pollen was found in the burial of a Neanderthal in the Shanidar Cave in the Zagros Mountains of Iraq. Interpreted by the excavator as remnants of flowers placed with the deceased, there are now also differing interpretations that point to the possible introduction of the pollen into the cave by insects. However, evidence of flowers dating back approximately 13,700 to 11,700 years is certain in burials from the Raqefet Cave in Israel. Here, hunter-gatherers had furnished four burials with extensive, colorful floral decorations, or rather, lined the grave pits with them. It was therefore logical to also search for remnants of flowering plants in the Bad Dürrenberg burial. The analyses were carried out by pollen analyst Elisabeth Endtmann of the State Office for Geology and Mining Saxony-Anhalt.
Under the microscope, pollen was indeed detected, albeit in rather small quantities. Particularly interesting is the finding of a pollen concentration in the shaman's head area. Pollen from visually appealing flowering plants was found there, such as meadowsweet, mullein, buttercup, devil's-bit scabious or scabiosa. Meadowsweet blooms in white, cream, pink, or red; mullein is usually yellow, rarely white or purple; buttercup is bright yellow; devil's-bit scabious is violet to blue; and scabious is often the same. It would have presented a rather colorful view. "The pollen probably became trapped in the shaman's hair while she was still alive. However, it's also conceivable that her head was placed on flowers at her burial. Unfortunately, due to the small number of pollen samples, there won't be any definitive proof," explains Elisabeth Endtmann.
Among the pollen found in the grave, numerous plants with functions in traditional folk medicine stand out. Birch leaves, due to their diuretic effect, are used to treat cystitis, rheumatism, gout, and dropsy. Buckthorn bark is used as a laxative, hops can serve as a sedative, and lady's mantle is used to treat wounds, bleeding, ulcers, abdominal pain, kidney stones, and headaches. "Whether the Bad Dürrenberg shaman was aware of the medicinal properties of the plants remains unclear, of course," explains state archaeologist Harald Meller, "but there are numerous ethnographic examples of shamans using medicinal plants, and hunter-gatherers who live from and in harmony with their environment often possess such knowledge."
With some caution, the flowering times of the plants found in the head area of the shaman can be used to infer the date of burial. The greatest overlap in flowering periods occurs in July. Also of interest is the discovery of green algae in the grave, which likely adhered to the feathers of waterfowl (https://www.lda-lsa.de/presse-und-oeffentlichkeitsarbeit/presseinformationen/111...).
In addition to the pollen analysis, research in recent years has yielded numerous other new findings regarding the grave of the Bad Dürrenberg shaman. These will be presented to the public in a major special exhibition at the State Museum of Prehistory in Halle (Saale) starting on March 27, 2026.
Possible floral decorations in the head area of the shaman, from left to right: Meadowsweet, Mulle ...
Source: Elisabeth Endtmann
Copyright: Landesamt für Geologie und Bergwesen Sachsen-Anhalt
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