Exciting insights: Start excavations in the Schweinert hill burial ground!

Exciting insights: Start excavations in the Schweinert hill burial ground!

In the district of Elbe-Elster, the fascinating landscape history of the Gräberfeld "Schweinert" is currently being researched by a committed team at the Brandenburg University of Cottbus-Senftenberg. Since 2021, the researchers, led by Thomas Raab and his wife Alexandra, have diged in this historic place, which with over 600 hill tombs is the largest late Bronze Age hill burial field in Germany. The aim of the excavations is to gain interesting insights into the prevailing ecological conditions and the development of the rivers after the last ice age, which took place 18,000 to 20,000 years ago. A large number of measurement techniques, such as resistance measurements and sampling, are used to analyze the soil structure more precisely.

There is special attention to the ground -wing and morphological contexts between the graves and the holocene deposits of the area. The researchers have been able to discover the first indications of Aeolic relief forms in their soil analyzes, as reported by the [Bldam Brandenburg] (https://bldam-brandenburg.de/arbeitsge area/Achaeology/Forschungen-und-projekte/dfg-projekt-im-schweinert-bei-falkenberg-er-elster/). In order to document the results of the excavations, the scientists receive support from archaeologists who are at the side of the documentation of finds.

The state of affairs

The excavations are currently coming to an end, and the team focuses on evaluating the data obtained and making it accessible to the public. As early as 2022, the burial ground was examined for five days by excavation of a damaged hill grave, with significant finds to be lighted like an urn. In the course of the excavations, the first observations show that the groundwater mirror in the region was higher in the past, which could possibly provide information on future developments.

The project is funded by the German Research Foundation and is a cooperation with the Chair of Geopedology and Landscape Development of the BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg. A big goal is to create a high-resolution digital terrain model that is intended to help the researchers collect references to the history of landscape and land use.

unique archaeological site

The burial ground "Schweinert" looks back on a significant history of use that took place between the 11th and 6th centuries BC. Surprisingly, it was found that the burial mounds were created in a comparatively short time, which indicates an active funeral practice during this period. In addition, studies indicate that the funeral area has shifted to the east and southeast over time.

For interested parties at archaeological sites, the district of Elbe-Elster not only offers the burial ground "Schweinert", but also the hill burial ground on the Fuchsberg in Lower Saxony. This site is easy to reach and is ideal for extensive hikes because it is known for its historical graves. Outdoor enthusiasts can look forward to different hiking routes that offer different levels of difficulty, such as a distance of 10.7 km, which can be mastered in about 2:45 hours.

The archaeological research in the "Schweinert" burial ground is not only important for science, but also for the entire region, which deals with its cultural heritage and wants to actively preserve it. The upcoming publications will certainly throw further light on the fascinating history of this remarkable place.