Exciting discoveries: Archaeologists explore hill graves in Elbe-Elster!

Exciting discoveries: Archaeologists explore hill graves in Elbe-Elster!

Falkenberg/Elster, Deutschland - What's new from Brandenburg? An exciting archaeological project is currently attracting attention: Since 2021, the burial ground "Schweinert" in the Elbe-Elbe district of the Brandenburg University of Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU) has been intensive investigations of the Brandenburg University. rbb24 reports that the team was researched by Thomas Raab and his wife Alexandra, such as the ice age, before about 18,000 20,000 years took place, the landscape shaped.

In the forest between Falkenberg/Elster and Kleinrössen, the researchers dig in one of the largest late Bronze Age hill burial fields in Germany, which comprises more than 600 hill tombs. These historical sites should be preserved as a ground monument, even if a damaged hill grave was opened for five days in 2022. An urn came to light that could give interesting insights into the burial culture of the time.

The research goals and methods

The main goals of the current research are the reconstruction of the landscape history of the burial ground and the effects of the geomorphological changes. The project is headed by a funding program of the German Research Foundation, which is closely linked to the chair for geopedology and landscape development of the BTU. The Brandenburg State Office for the Preservation of Monuments supports the excavations.

Different methods are used here: ditches, scissors, trade fairs and the implementation of geophysical prospers using ground radar are just a few of them. Especially the knowledge from the soil profiles generated by Pürckhauer bores and grubs already confirmed the first indications of Aeolic relief forms.

a look into the past

The evaluations are in full swing, and the researchers give interesting conclusions about the occupancy of the burial ground between the 11th and 6th centuries BC. It seems as if the burial mounds were created in a relatively short time, with younger inventories in particular being installed in the smaller hills. Notes indicate that the funeral area was initially located on the western edge of the "Schweinert" and was then postponed to the east and southeast.

Exciting observations regarding groundwater levels also open up new perspectives for future developments in the region. The researchers have found that the groundwater mirror in the past was significantly higher. This could be important for future water supply and landscape design.