Iron Age cremations burials around Bronze Age mounds –

At Petershagen in northwestern Germany, a Bronze Age burial mound was discovered surrounded by Iron Age cremation graves.

Archaeologists inAerial photography revealed a large circle of lush vegetation, prompting archaeologists to re-examine the expansion of the gravel mine. The vegetation contrasted sharply with the surrounding dry gravel, signaling to archaeologists that there was almost certainly a burial mound there. These mounds were surrounded by ditches filled with fertile soil that, unlike the gravel, provided a welcoming home for plants.

The archaeological department of the Westphalia-Lippe Regional Association (LWL) conducted follow-up test excavations based on the aerial data. They discovered cremation graves almost immediately, and then more, including ritually buried urns and graves consisting of funeral pyres. They were buried around the perimeter ditch of the burial mound, using an earlier Bronze Age mound as a monumental centrepiece of the cemetery, which at the time stood out prominently in the landscape.

The tombs were initially dated based on the shape and decoration of the urns. The earliest of these dates back to The Iron Age Nienburg group occupied the area between the 7th and 5th centuries BC.

According to the previous classification of the remains found, the cremation burials were dated between the 2nd and 3rd centuries BC. To determine the age of the burials without grave goods, charcoal radiocarbon dating will be used. According to scientists, surprises are always possible. Therefore, only in combination with scientific dating results can a clear assessment be made of the actual time of use of the cemetery.

Sebastian Düvel, scientific advisor for archaeology at LWL Westphalia, said of the new find: “These monuments remain clearly visible centuries after their construction and are important reference points in the landscape. In this case, they are core elements of subsequent burial mounds from the 7th to 5th centuries BC and the 2nd to 1st centuries BC. The new site clearly consolidates an extensive burial landscape along the Weser River in Middle Westphalia, which includes dozens of mounds and adjacent tombs.”