Man with broken skull found in Corded Ware kiln

Archaeologists have discovered an extraordinary Copper Age burial in a kiln pit at Gerstewitz, Germany. The deceased is a male between 23 and 25 years old lying in a crouched position on his right side facing south, a burial position typical of the Corded Ware Culture (ca. 2900-2050 B.C.). The skull bears the signs of injury.

No other Corded Ware kiln pits have ever been found with a person buried inside, although occasionally the remains of cattle or dogs have been found. The animal deposits are believed to have sacrificial offerings. It’s possible this individual may have been sacrificed, but there are other possible explanations. He could have been murdered and fell into the pit, for example, or buried there hastily after dying in battle.

The burial was discovered by a team from the State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology (LDA) Saxony-Anhalt investigating sites of interest along the route of a new direct power line. Several excavations have taken place near Gerstewitz, uncovering traces of settlement going back 6,000 years.

One of the oldest finds is a tumulus from the Baalberge Culture ca. 4000-3400 B.C.) that was an estimated 15 meters (49 feet) high originally. It was built over a wooden burial chamber of an elite member of the community. A ceremonial precinct defined by a triple rampart and ditch enclosure from the Salzmünde Culture (ca. 3400-3100 B.C.) was also discovered at the site. The ritual ceremonies that took place were complex and large-scale. Twelve pits were discovered within the ramparts. They contained the remains of burned houses and offerings.

One pit held two intact ceramic vessels believed to have been offerings. Another contained weathered canine bones in their anatomical positions but bearing traces of fire. A human skull was found next to the dog bones, but it was not weathered, indicating the pit was kept open during ceremonies that took place over a long period of time, or that the dog bones were kept elsewhere for a long time, then moved and recomposed in an anatomically accurate way. After the deposits, the pits were filled with the rubble of burned houses.

More directly relevant to the recent discovery, an oven pit was found containing the bodies of two people. Their bones indicate they were placed somewhere else first them moved to the oven pit, again an instance of multi-stage rituals taking place over a long period of time.

The Salzmünde Culture predates the Corded Ware by at least 500 years, so it’s not likely they were performing the same rituals. LDA Saxony-Anhalt scientists will examine the remains in the Corded Ware kiln in the hope that laboratory analysis will shed light on the mysterious burial.

* This article was originally published here