Archaeologists are currently re-excavating a fortified settlement at Eilsleben in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, one of the largest Neolithic settlements in Central Europe. This site, ᴀssociated with the Linear Pottery Culture (LBK), which dates back to around 5500-4500 BCE, was first identified in the 1920s and later extensively explored between 1974 and 1989. The settlement covers an impressive 12 hectares and is located on the northern periphery of the LBK region, in the fertile Magdeburg Börde, a key area for early European farmers.

Drone image of the excavation trench with Neolithic features. Credit: Franz Becker, State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt

The initial excavations, led by Dr. Dieter Kaufmann, then director of the State Museum of Prehistory, uncovered fortifications, graves, remnants of houses, and pits believed to be ᴀssociated with ritualistic sacrifices, including human and animal offerings. The site revealed evidence of two distinct settlement phases. The earliest phase featured north-south oriented homes, clay extraction pits, and a defensive trench measuring up to 3 meters wide. During the later phase, a central spring was fortified with a trapezoidal structure, complete with ramparts, palisades, and ditches. These defensive features suggest a significant concern for security, possibly due to conflicts or external threats.

In 2006, a geophysical survey confirmed the presence of additional, unexcavated houses, all oriented in the same way as those previously discovered. However, new investigations are underway, led by PD Dr. Laura Dietrich from the Martin Luther Universität Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and Prof. Dr. Henny Piezonka of the Freie Universität Berlin (FU). These new excavations, part of a teaching project involving students from both universities, aim to further investigate the layout and function of the settlement and its structures. Researchers hope to uncover more about the early farmers’ way of life, their economy, and their interactions with surrounding hunter-gatherer communities.

A key question that has long divided scholars is whether agriculture and livestock breeding came to Central Europe through the migration of people or the transfer of ideas. Archaeogenetic studies in recent years have supported the migration model, showing a mᴀssive influx of people from Anatolia and the Aegean. These early farmers settled in fertile regions, displacing local Mesolithic hunter-gatherers into less arable areas. However, certain artifacts, such as stone and antler implements, suggest close exchanges between these farmers and the local populations. The Eilsleben site, being on the northern edge of the LBK region, is particularly significant for understanding these exchanges.

Neolithic stone tools. Credit: Lohengrin Baunack, State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt

The ongoing excavation is focusing on a 200-square-meter area, using modern scientific methods, including sediment analysis, micromorphology, and phytolith studies, to better understand the site’s formation and occupational activity. The archaeologists have uncovered well-preserved remnants of Neolithic houses, including post holes and wattle-and-daub walls, along with a wealth of artifacts such as pottery fragments, stone tools (e.g., blades, arrowheads, and axes), and bone and antler objects.

In a statement, the State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology (LDA) Saxony-Anhalt remarked, “The excavations are already showing that the Neolithic settlement remains are surprisingly well preserved. The concentrations of finds are enabling conclusions to be drawn about the use of the spaces within the settlement.”

The new research is expected to shed more light on the complex interactions between Europe’s earliest farmers and the hunter-gatherers who lived alongside them.

 State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology (LDA) Saxony-Anhalt