21 November 2019 . Press release Uta Kull Phone: +49 561 934 – 3636 Fax: +49 561 934 – 1208 [email protected]
Completion of archaeological excavations in Brandenburg
Excavations on EUGAL route completed / archaeological monuments found in 267 places
Kassel/Wünsdorf. The archaeological excavations on the working strip of the EUGAL route in Brandenburg have been completed. The Brandenburg State Office for Monuments and Archaeological State Museum (BLDAM) and GASCADE were positive about the collaboration. Interesting finds were recovered, from which insights can be gained into civilization in Brandenburg hundreds and thousands of years ago. They include relics from residential and farm buildings and graves, as well as vessels, tools, weapons and jewelry.
The archaeological excavations already began prior to construction work on EUGAL. The excavation period from April 2017 to May 2019 was sufficient to recover and document the 267 archaeological monuments in total on the working strip of EUGAL in Brandenburg. From experience gained in the construction phase of the Baltic Sea Pipeline Link (OPAL), which large parts of EUGAL run alongside, the position of most of the discovery sites was already known. A further 29 new archaeological monuments were discovered during construction.
Among the special aspects and highlights of the excavation finds are:
• A remarkably well-preserved human skeleton in a crouched position, with legs bent and lying on its side, from the Neolithic period, near Biesenbrow in the Uckermark district. • A Bronze Age urn burial field in Großbahren in the Elbe-Elster district, which unearthed burial objects such as jewelry and ceramic vessels. • An unusually large settlement from the late Roman imperial era with 32 pit houses in Kienbaum in the Oder-Spree district. 170 clay weights were discovered in one of the pit houses, evidently belonging to a weaving loom.
120 people were employed by the BLDAM for the EUGAL project during the 25-month excavation period. An inventory of the artefacts is currently being compiled and the excavation reports written. In the medium term, the BLDAM plans an exhibition and publication of the EUGAL findings in Brandenburg. This will probably be in 2020. The costs for the archaeological excavations are being borne by GASCADE as the project sponsor.
21 November 2019 . Press release Uta Kull Phone: +49 561 934 – 3636 Fax: +49 561 934 – 1208 [email protected]
Contacts:
Brandenburg State Office for Monuments and GASCADE Gastransport GmbH Archaeological State Museum Uta Kull Dr. Christof Krauskopf Phone: +49 561 934 – 3636 Phone: +49 33702 211-1600 [email protected] [email protected]
We will make photos and brief descriptions of this and other finds from Brandenburg available for downloading: Bilder_EUGAL_Archäologie.zip
1_Inhumation burial_Biesenbrow 2_Burial ground_Großbahren 3_Burial ground_Großbahren
4_Brushing off dust_loom 5_Loom weights_Kienbaum 6_Cattle skeletons_Felchow weights
7_Flint dagger_Felchow 8_Burial objects_Klockow 9_Artefacts_waste pit_Klockow
10_Excavation site 11_Excavations 12_Excavation site
Brief description of the photos
1. Inhumation burial from the late Neolithic period from Biesenbrow, Uckermark district, site 32, (dated: end of the third millennium BC) (photo: D. Łukaszewska, BLDAM)
2. Finds from Bronze Age burial site in Großbahren, Elbe-Elster district, site 4: all ceramic burial objects (photo: A. Buhlke, BLDAM) (dated: 8th century BC)
3. Finds from a Bronze Age burial site in Großbahren, Elbe-Elster district, site 4: selection of glass beads and amber (bottom left) and sandstone pendants (bottom right) – they all once belonged to a Teuton’s necklace (photo: A. Grothe, BLDAM) (dated: 8th century BC)
4. Work photo of brushing dust off the loom weights used in a pit house in the late Imperial Era, in Kienbaum, Oder-Spree, site 7 (dated approx. 3rd to 4th century BC) (photo: S. Döbel, BLDAM)
5. Weaving loom weights (loom weights) from Kienbaum, Oder-Spree district, site 7 after the restoration, (dated approx. 3rd to 4th century BC) (photo: A. Buhlke, BLDAM)
6. Sacrificial site for cattle: deposits of cattle skeletons from the Late Neolithic Globular Amphora Culture. In Felchow, Uckermark district, site 26 (dated approx. 3100 to 2600 BC) (photo: E. Kirsch, BLDAM)
7. Flint dagger from a Late Neolithic burial near Felchow, Uckermark district, site 24 (dated: end of the third millennium BC) (photo: A. Grothe, BLDAM)
8. Object from a cremation burial from Klockow, Uckermark district, site 33. The photo shows partly melted glass beads, a spindle whorl (center) and two bronze brooches used to fasten a robe (known as fibulae). (dated 2. Jh. n. Chr.) (photo: M. Röder, BLDAM)
9. Finds from a waste pit, from Klockow, Uckermark district, site 33. A small realistic sculpted leg next to a large plate, a cylindrical sieve tube and a cup with a handle. (dated 12th – 10th century BC) (photo: M. Röder, BLDAM)
10. Excavation site in Brandenburg (photo: GASCADE)
11. Excavations in Brandenburg (photo: GASCADE)
12. Excavation site in Brandenburg (photo: GASCADE)
The non-transferable and non-exclusive rights of use are granted for press and media publications. Press agencies have the right to pass on the photos to the press and media for use.
All rights remain with BLDAM or the photo authors. The photo authors are to be named when using the photos - as specified in the photo captions.