Remarkable Copper Age Cemetery Unearthed

During construction work for a new power line near Förderstedt in Germany’s Salzlandkreis district, archaeologists made an extraordinary discovery—a 4,500-year-old burial site from the Bell Beaker culture. Among the ten graves uncovered, three warrior burials stood out, with one individual still wearing an arm guard, a rare find that offers a fascinating glimpse into ancient European societies.

Burial Practices of the Bell Beaker Culture

The Bell Beaker people, named after their distinctive bell-shaped ceramic vessels, buried their dead in a consistent manner—bodies were positioned in a hunched posture facing east. In this particular cemetery, men were placed on their left side and women on their right. A shared burial mound covered the three prominent warrior graves, reinforcing the cultural significance of the site.

Notable Artifacts and Warrior Equipment

Archaeologists found several valuable grave goods, including a ceramic vessel, around 15 centimeters in diameter, filled with food to accompany the deceased in the afterlife. One of the most striking discoveries was a stone arm guard, likely worn by an archer to protect against bowstring injuries. This artifact, measuring approximately eight by four centimeters, confirms the individual’s status as a hunter or warrior.

Another grave revealed two closely positioned arrowheads near the deceased’s back, suggesting they were buried with their weaponry. Traces of a quiver, though decayed, were visible in the soil, indicating the presence of additional archery equipment.

Exceptional Preservation Due to Loess Clay

The graves were found approximately two meters underground, originally protected by a high burial mound or dug deeply into loess clay. According to excavation leader Christian Lau, this sediment provided excellent preservation conditions. Had the remains been buried in sand, their condition would have been significantly worse. Now, the graves and artifacts will be carefully excavated and analyzed in a laboratory setting.

Excavation in Advance of Infrastructure Development

These findings were uncovered as part of preparatory work for the expansion of the “SuedOstLink,” a direct current power line spanning 540 kilometers from Wolmirstedt near Magdeburg to the Isar site in Bavaria. The discovery highlights the importance of archaeological surveys in infrastructure projects, ensuring that invaluable pieces of history are preserved and studied before development proceeds.