Archaeologists have unearthed a large Bronze Age burial mound surrounded by Iron Age cremation burials in Petershagen-Windheim, Germany. This find was made during preparations for the expansion of the Wesling gravel works.

Archaeologists found a Bronze Age burial mound surrounded by Iron Age cremation burials in Germany. Credit: Andreas Wibbe/LWL Archaeology for Westphalia

The excavation, conducted by the Westphalia-Lippe Regional ᴀssociation (LWL) Archaeology unit, revealed a cremation cemetery with numerous urns dating back over 2,000 years. Dr. Sven Spiong, head of the LWL Archaeology branch in Bielefeld, explained, “We knew from aerial pH๏τographs that there was very likely a burial site hidden in the ground here. The outer border of a burial mound and the circular ditch was visible in the vegetation.”

The aerial pH๏τographs, which indicated a distinct ring of thriving plants contrasting with the surrounding dry gravel, were a crucial clue. This contrast suggested the presence of a burial mound, as ancient communities often dug ditches around their burials and filled them with nutrient-rich soil, promoting plant growth. The archaeologists’ suspicions were confirmed when they found a cremation burial almost immediately upon beginning their test excavations.

The burial mound, which was likely constructed over 2,700 years ago during the Bronze Age, served as a landmark for subsequent burials by the Iron Age Nienburg group. The mound and its surrounding ditch remained prominent in the landscape, guiding the placement of urns and cremation burials from the 7th to 5th centuries BCE and again in the 2nd to 1st centuries BCE.

An ancient urn from a cremation burial. Credit: Dirk Dödtmann/Archaeological Services Blanck

Sebastian Düvel, a scientific advisor at LWL Archaeology, said: “The monuments, which are still clearly visible centuries after they were built, represented an important reference point in the landscape. The new sites clearly consolidate the image of an extensive burial landscape with dozens of mounds and adjacent burials along the Westphalian Middle Weser.”

The cremation burials found at the site include both urns and traces of funeral pyres. The deceased were burned on funeral pyres, and their remains were placed in urns and buried. Some graves also contained small jars, likely holding gifts for the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ to use in the afterlife and other artifacts such as a metal belt hook.

A decorated vessel, likely holding gifts for the afterlife. Credit: Andreas Wibbe/LWL Archaeology for Westphalia

To date the graves more precisely, radiocarbon dating will be conducted on the charcoal remains. This scientific dating is crucial as the preliminary dating of the graves is based on the shapes and ornamentation of the urns, which suggests they were buried between the 7th century BCE and the turn of the era. According to the scientists, “Surprises are always possible. The actual period of use of the necropolis can therefore only be clearly ᴀssessed in conjunction with the results of the scientific dating.”

A similar site was recently excavated a few kilometers to the south during the expansion of the “Regioport” in Minden-Päpinghausen. These sites, with their extensive burial landscapes and monumental mounds, provide important insights into the lives and deaths of the people who lived in the area over 2,000 years ago.