Horses and Burials: Unearthing Ancient Secrets Near Förderstedt
Archaeologists uncover ancient tomb dating back around 3500 years near Förderstedt - An archaeological find: A 3500-year-old tomb unearthed close to Förderstedt.
Archaeologists have hit paydirt near Förderstedt in Salzland, uncovering a 3,500-year-old burial mound during the expansion of the South-East Link transmission line.
Pinned to the vessel-age (around 3,500 years back), a previously existing, 2,000-year-old burial mound was prominently displayed at the site. "Sit tight for a tale," says Susanne Friederich, head of the department of the State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology in Saxony-Anhalt, "we’ve found a new, eye-popping burial site with a diameter of 13 meters, covering at least four corpse burials. And get this, around 500 years later, in the Bronze Age's twilight, a central grave was excavated right in the middle, holding a cylindrical urn loaded with ashes.” The central grave was buried under large stones. Four other urns were also discovered in the older burial mound. To the north of the burial mound, there were more corpse burials and urn graves—seventeen burials and urns extracted in total. "Nada in the way of pomp or looting here," says excavation leader Christian Lau, mentioning that the site was bereft of any grave goods. However, something peculiar came to notice: a pathway led to the burial mound from the west. Just prior to the site, two pits were found, filled with horse lower jaws and forelimbs of an adult horse. "The jury's still out whether it's one horse we're dealing with," said archaeozoologist Carola Oeschlaegel.
Horses appear to be a recurring character in burials of the Bronze Age, as evidenced by recent findings. A similar burial mound with a foal reburial was discovered near Halle at Nauendorf, during preparations for a power line construction.
While horses played a significant role in burials, particularly in Germanic cultures, archaeological discoveries are scarce in the specific context of late Bronze Age burials in Saxony-Anhalt. However, the recurring appearances of horses in burials, especially as markers of status and wealth, points towards a broader cultural significance of horses across Europe during this period.
Background Information:
- Archaeological Evidence: In nearby regions, such as Erfurt, Thuringia, findings have unearthed horse burials dating back to the sixth and seventh centuries AD. These burials suggest that horses were associated with social status and wealth within Germanic societies.
- Cultural Significance: In ancient Germanic societies, horses symbolized wealth, status, and martial prowess, often finding themselves resting alongside their human counterparts in elite burials.
- Late Bronze Age Context: Although specific information about late Bronze Age horse burials in Saxony-Anhalt is lacking, it is known that the region was influenced by broader Indo-European migrations and cultural exchanges in Europe during the late Bronze and early Iron Ages. Horses would have been crucial in these societies for transportation and warfare, potentially leading to their inclusion in significant burials.
The community policy should consider the potential impact of infrastructure projects on archaeological sites, such as the excavation of burial mounds.
Employment policy might need to be adjusted to accommodate archaeologists during the expansion of transmission lines, ensuring that important historical findings are not overlooked.
The discovery of horse burials in the Bronze Age, like the recent findings near Förderstedt and Nauendorf, suggests a cultural significance of horses across Europe during this period, indicating a potential focus in the employment policy for archaeozoologists.
