Latest news with #FunnelBeaker
Yahoo
04-08-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
5,000-year-old pits discovered in Germany reveals haunting Neolithic secrets
Archaeologists in Germany made a stunning discovery of numerous ritual pits that belonged to the Salzmünde culture, revealing a prehistoric society that struggled with internal and external changes. At the Gerstewitz archaeological site in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, these sacrificial pits, which were more like treasure troves, held the remnants of houses, ceramic vessels, human and animal bones, and converted oven pits. Archaeologists first discovered the Salzmünde Culture, a regional subset of the greater Funnel Beaker Cultures, in 1921. According to a new study published in Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-Anhalt – Landesmuseum für Vorgeschichte, the burial ritual of these prehistoric people was 'particularly striking.' Their sacrificial rituals were no less remarkable. Researchers report that the pits they uncovered reflect people in crisis, due to climate change and threats from the north. The Salzmünde Culture needed help In anticipation of constructing a new SuedOstLink powerline, archaeologists investigated the area to ensure nothing of historical or cultural value was buried beneath the surface. Substantial and significant cultural material surfaced that illuminated a prehistoric society grappling with instability. Twelve sacrificial pits contained the remains of burnt houses and offerings, though the dog bones and human skulls stood out to archaeologists. They measured about 6.4 to 9.8 feet wide by 6.5 to 8.2 feet deep, according to Popsci. With the inclusion of two unbroken ceramic vessels, archaeologists believe that they were offerings. Study authors continued that the Salzmünde placed weathered dog bones, showing traces of fire, next to a human skull. It did not show any signs of weathering, thereby communicating to archaeologists that these pits remained open for an extensive ceremony, or the dog bones were kept elsewhere for an extended period of time. But the bodies of two people that they found appeared to have been moved to this location later. 'This case, too, suggests complex, multi-stage rituals,' study authors wrote. Why did the Salzmünde Culture set up these elaborate rituals? Based on a broader viewpoint, archaeologists suspect that they performed these rituals 'in high frequency and with…intensity.' As per LBV, they appeared to create ritual performance spaces where animal sacrifice met a burning of houses, along with the manipulation of corpses. It seemed to be a rite that took place over time. Sources indicate that Central Europe experienced a deterioration of climate in the 4th millennium BC. Archaeology News continued that the Bernburg Culture was also encroaching upon their territory. So, these larger threats might have propelled the Salzmünde Culture to take drastic measures and cry out for help. Who are the Salzmünde? The Salzmünde culture, a regional branch of the Funnel Beaker groups that spread along the middle and lower course of the Saale River, was already known for its peculiar funerary practices. At the eponymous site of Salzmünde, discovered in 1921, burials were found beneath layers of broken pottery and remains of burned houses, along with numerous cases of interpersonal violence and post-mortem manipulations, such as the relocation of skulls and long bones. These reflect a people reaching to their ancestors or a higher idea for support through trials and tribulations. Read the study in Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-Anhalt – Landesmuseum für Vorgeschichte. Solve the daily Crossword
Miami Herald
14-07-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
5,500-year-old ‘pyramids' discovered during landscape work — in Central Europe
Constructed pyramids have long been thought of as one of the peaks of human engineering. Despite the structures standing for thousands of years, archaeologists are still working to learn how the ancient Egyptians or Mayans were able to build with such precision and ingenuity. As the mystery continues, a different kind of pyramid has been unearthed for the first time, and not in Egypt or Mexico. In a landscape park in western Poland, remote sensing equipment discovered long, triangular formations below the surface, according to a July 9 Facebook post from the Team of Landscape Parks of the Greater Poland Voivodeship. Archaeologists began work to excavate one of the structures, and found that it was an ancient megalithic tomb, officials told the Polish Press Agency (PAP), through the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. The tombs range in length from a few dozen feet to more than 650 feet, officials said, and were formed in an elongated triangle. The 'front' of the triangle is multiple feet wide and about 13 feet tall before narrowing as the triangle tapers into the embankment, according to the PAP. The tombs were called Polish pyramids or the beds of giants, according to the Facebook post, and were created by members of the Funnel Beaker culture in the Stone Age. The structures were dated to 5,500 years ago, officials said. Funnel Beaker communities lived in the temperate regions of Europe and earned their names from bell-shaped beakers commonly decorated with toothed stamps made by the people, according to Britannica. Funnel Beaker groups were typically pretty egalitarian, but the larger, megalithic tombs were created for important members of their community like a leader, a priest or a shaman, specialist Artur Golis told the PAP. Each generation created their own megalith, Golis said, and would typically hold a single burial that would be surrounded by grave goods and sometimes covered in cobblestones. Officials believe the human skeleton inside the tomb likely hasn't survived, but goods like pottery or copper ornaments may still be buried inside, according to the PAP. The remote sensing showed five promising formations underground, but only two have been examined more closely and only one excavated, officials said. This is the second grouping of these kinds of pyramids to be discovered in Poland. The site is located in Wyskoć, in west-central Poland. Chat GPT, an AI chat bot, was used to translate the Facebook post from the Team of Landscape Parks of the Greater Poland Voivodeship. Google Translate was used to translate the news release from the Polish Press Agency.
