Archaeologists have discovered a dozen sacrificial pits dating back 5,000 years in Germany.
The find was uncovered as part of the country’s ongoing high-voltage electric powerline project, which has brought up multiple other archaeological discoveries through the years.
The discovery near Gerstewitz in Saxony-Anhalt, has been associated with scientists with the Salzmunde Culture which dated from 3400 to 3050 BC, and was a regional subset of the Funnel Beaker Culture.
Archaeologists discovered 12 circular pits which measure between seven and 10 feet wide, and up to eight feet deep.
The pits, which were enclosed within a ditch system, contained the charred remains of buildings, and ceramics, as well as human and animal bones.
Researchers were particularly interested in the remains of a dog which were found, still in anatomical position, but showing signs of burn and weather damage, next to an intact human skull.
According to experts, the difference in conditions “suggests that the pits remained open during extended ceremonies, or that the dog bones were kept in another place for a prolonged period of time”.
Another pit contained two individuals who are believed to have decomposed elsewhere, before being laid to rest.
STATE OFFICE FOR HERITAGE MANAGEMENT AND ARCHAEOLOGY SAXONY-ANHALT
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The pits contained the charred remains of buildings, and ceramics, as well as human and animal bones
According to researchers, cases such as these suggest “complex, multi-stage rituals”, which they believe reflect the harsh era in which the Salzmunde Culture lived.
Scientists have learnt, through physical artefacts and climatological data, that around 3000BC, Central Europe experienced a climatic downturn which produced cooler and more unpredictable weather.
This would likely have had large consequences for an agricultural group such as the Salzmunde.
Also, experts believe the neighbouring Bernburg Culture began to expand into Salzmunde territory from the north around this time.
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STATE OFFICE FOR HERITAGE MANAGEMENT AND ARCHAEOLOGY SAXONY-ANHALT
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These pits suggest ‘complex, multi-stage rituals’
The team responsible for the discovery explained: “The rituals, by which people were apparently seeking the support of their ancestors, can be understood in the context of this period of crisis.”
The Salzmunde Culture was first discovered by researchers in 1921, and since then multiple different archaeological sites have been linked with the group.
This discovery however was made as part of a large infrastructure project currently ongoing in the country.
The high-voltage electric powerline which is being constructed along a 105-mile-long transmission route will transport electricity from northern Germany to Bavaria in the southeast.
It is not uncommon for construction work to unearth archaeological discoveries.
Earlier this month, construction workers in Lima, Peru uncovered a 1000-year-old tomb while laying a gas pipe below the ground.
Archaeologist Jose Aliaga said: “The material evidence suggests that it could be a burial of the Chancay culture, from approximately 1,000 to 1,200 years ago.”
He added: “Lima is unique among Latin American capitals in that various archaeological finds are unearthed during nearly every civil project.”
