Neolithic ritual pits were unearthed in Germany – History

A sacrificial pit along the Salzmünde culture near Gerstewitz in eastern Germany (3400-3050 BCE), along the archaeological survey of the Suedostlink high-voltage power project in eastern Germany (3400-3050). Twelve sacrifice pits were found, including sacrifices, including burning houses, ceramics, dog bones and remains of human skulls.

The pits are all similar in size, with a width of 2-3 meters (6.6-9.8 feet) and a depth of 2-2.5 meters (6.6-8.2 feet).

One of the pits contains two complete ceramic containers, which may be sacrificed depending on their location and condition. Weathered dog bones were found in another pit, but were still in the anatomical position, but showed traces of fire. The human skulls found next to them showed no signs of weathering. This indicates that the pit remains open during extended ritual rituals, or that the dog’s bones are kept in another place for a long time. Then, the pit was filled with ruins that burned the houses. In addition, burials were found in the converted oven pit. Apparently the bodies of two people who had been placed elsewhere for a while were placed here to rest. This situation also suggests complex multi-stage rituals.

The Salzmünde culture is a group of channel cultures that live in what is now the Salzmünde region of central Germany. They established settlements on the hilltop plateau, some of which were surrounded by defensive ditches and Palisades. Their funerals are mainly buried directly on the ground, with bodies in squatting positions, but also have more complex tumors, chambers and cist graves. Some have ritual elements that share the same as sacrificial pits, such as burials under the burial of the remains and bones of burnt houses, especially the skull. In most Salzmünde burials, grave cargo is very small.

The question of why the people of Salzmud culture are so important to their ancestors and rituals, and why such rituals are conducted at high frequencies and this intensity can only be partially answered. In the 4,000 B.C., various indicators imply a deterioration in the Central European climate. At the same time, the people of the Bernberg culture penetrated the distribution area of the Salzmud culture from the north. During this crisis, people can understand it through rituals seeking support from their ancestors.