Slavic settlement and burial ground with two unusual graves discovered near Wettin-Löbejün, Germany
In advance of the construction of the SuedOstLink direct current powerline, the State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt is carrying out archaeological investigations. Along its length of 170 kilometers through Saxony-Anhalt, the powerline leads through land with extremely fertile soils, extensively settled throughout prehistory. The number of sites that are examined in close coordination with the network operator 50Hertz is accordingly high. A two-phase Slavic settlement with an associated burial ground of the 10th-11th centuries AD have now been uncovered near Wettin-Löbejün. Among the graves, a burial of a child probably suffering from hydrocephalus stands out.
In advance of the construction start of the SuedOstLink direct current powerline, the State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology (LDA) Saxony-Anhalt is currently carrying out archaeological investigations along the 170 kilometer long route between Wolmirstedt near Magdeburg and Droyßig in the Burgenland district with around 250 employees. The powerline, which is largely designed as an underground cable, leads through agricultural land with best soils. Since people first permanently settled in the region around 7,500 years ago, the quality of the soil has been the decisive factor in the choice of settlement locations. Accordingly, a particularly large number of settlement and burial sites has been found on the SuedOstLink throughout history. A total of around 300 sites are documented in close coordination with the network operator 50Hertz.
Work has been going on at Wettin-Löbejün since the end of 2023, with interruptions due to harsh weather conditions in winter and spring. Currently, 20 employees are examining traces of a Slavic settlement with an associated burial ground west of the town, which offer interesting new insights into the early to high medieval settlement of the region.
The Slavic settlement
Around a third of the total extent of a Slavic settlement area was uncovered over an area of 0.5 hectares. The documented area includes a craft district with pits used to extract iron ore. A blast furnace with a preserved furnace bear (iron collected on the bottom of the furnace during smelting) is evidence of on-site processing. Textile production has also been proven through finds of spindle whorls. Two wells, approximately 1.50 meters deep, provided water.
Two settlement phases can be distinguished. In the earlier phase, the settlement area was protected by a four meter wide ditch. This fortificatory protection was abandoned in a second phase. The settlement now consisted of individual farmsteads that were surrounded by smaller ditches about 0.5 meters wide. The special finds from the settlement area include a bead from a farmstead ditch and a bronze bracelet from the larger, earlier ditch.
The burial ground
The burial ground belonging to the settlement was completely excavated. Around 60 burials lie in two parallel rows aligned north-south. The dead were buried according to the Christian rite lying on their backs, facing east and without any grave goods except for items belonging to garments, such as bronze rings and beads. The graves mostly have head niches. In some cases there were also stones put around the head or legs. New burials were frequently placed in existing grave pits, with the remains of previous burials being moved aside or included in the refilling. The graves mostly date to the 10th-11th century AD, some may be a bit earlier.
Special burials
Among the burials in the cemetery, two findings stand out. A square pit turned out to be a 'family grave' of two adults and two children. Traces of wooden corner posts and beams hint at a complex grave architecture. Also unusual is the burial of a child who probably suffered from hydrocephalus, a disease which leads to excessive amounts of cerebrospinal fluid to accumulate inside the skull. This can lead to increased intracranial pressure, which also affects the brain. In fetuses and infants whose skull bones are not yet solid, the pressure is equalized by balloon-like expansion of the skull. Due to the high intracranial pressure, a 'hydrocephalus' can lead to various problems. Patients often require care and only have a short life expectancy if medical treatment is not provided. In the case of the child from Wettin-Löbejün, special concern of the community is evidenced by beads placed in the chest area.
Further work
The archaeological documentation work in the Wettin-Löbejün area will be completed in August 2024. This creates freedom for construction in this area with regard to archeology long before work on the actual power line begins. Also for the rest of the SuedOstLink, the aim is to complete the archaeological work before construction begins, in close coordination with the network operator 50Hertz.
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