Latest news with #LWL
New York Post
4 days ago
- Science
- New York Post
Mysterious 1,600-year-old settlement emerges from soil with rare Roman military finds
Archaeologists recently uncovered a mysterious Roman-era settlement site in Germany, complete with building remains and hundreds of artifacts dating back nearly two millennia. The Schafbreite site, located within the western German town of Delbrück, has been settled since the first century A.D. The site was recently excavated by the Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe (LWL). Advertisement In a June 13 statement, the LWL announced the results of its excavation, revealing a trove of discoveries that mostly date back to the fourth and fifth centuries A.D. Officials identified hundreds of ancient features at the site, including numerous holes in the ground that were likely from ancient wooden posts. After months of careful digging, archaeologists also found two 'clearly identifiable' buildings, along with two pit houses, two wells and a cremation grave — along with several hundred artifacts. 5 Archaeologists excavating a Roman-era settlement in Germany. EggensteinExca/S. Knippschild via LWL Advertisement 5 Ancient Roman glass bead. LWL Archaeology for Westphalia/A. Madziala 'Seven hundred and fifty individual finds were recovered from the ancient cultural layer preserved under a thick ash soil, 600 of which were metal,' said the LWL's statement, translated from German to English. Archaeologists also explained that the site 'must have been settled at different times, making it a multi-period settlement site.' 'The finds from various periods also show the inhabitants had access to Roman material culture.' Advertisement 'The finds from various periods also show that the inhabitants had access to Roman material culture,' the press release said. The statement added, 'The new excavations have expanded the picture of this site, as a burial has now been confirmed: The isolated cremation grave contained remains from the pyre, such as charcoal, cremated remains and parts of burned grave goods.' 5 Excavated Roman-era well shaft in Germany. EggensteinExca/S. Knippschild via LWL 5 Carved wooden beam unearthed at a Roman-era settlement in Delbrück-Bentfeld, Germany. LWL Archaeology for Westphalia/A. Madziala Advertisement 'Experts date this buckle to the 4th or 5th century based on its shape. It further confirms the settlers' contact with the Roman cultural sphere, as it belonged to the Roman military belt,' officials said in a statement. Historians were unable to identify the mysterious burial. The LWL speculated that the deceased person may have been a Germanic mercenary in the Roman military. '[It's] a special find, as it is the first burial in East Westphalia where parts of a Roman military belt have been detected, previously only known from surface finds in other regions,' officials said. Other discoveries at the site included a cattle trough, a construction pit with ceramics and a three-foot-wide well that was made from tree trunks. 'The organic preservation was so good that we recovered not only wood but also a leather fragment and even an insect wing,' excavation manager Sven Knippschild noted. He added, 'Completely extraordinary and unique for the Migration Period in Westphalia was the discovery of a beam piece with various tool marks on the last day of excavation.' '[It] was certainly once part of a house and was later recycled for the well construction.' Sven Spiong, a lead archaeologist at LWL, said the site offers a glimpse into what life was like during the Migration Period. Advertisement 5 Eyelet from a Roman military belt. EggensteinExca/S. Knippschild via LWL The era, also known as the Barbarian Invasions, was a time of significant upheaval and change in Europe, lasting from roughly 300 to 600 A.D. 'Sites like these help us better understand how the people of the region lived and worked during the arrival of the Romans and in the following centuries.' 'Sites like these help us better understand how the people of the region lived and worked during the arrival of the Romans and in the following centuries, what interregional contacts and connections they had, and how the settlement structure changed during the Migration Period,' Spiong said. Advertisement Even though the excavation has wrapped up, the recent discoveries are just the beginning of researchers' study of the archaeological site. Experts plan to analyze the wood and charcoal found at the site to help date the site more precisely. Archaeologists will also look at some soil from the well to learn more about what the area around Bentfeld was like over 1,600 years ago. 'This [study] may reveal changes in vegetation, landscape, and settlement between the time around the birth of Christ and around 400 A.D.,' LWL archaeologist Julia Hallenkamp-Lumpe noted.
Fox News
5 days ago
- Fox News
Mysterious 1,600-year-old settlement emerges from soil with rare Roman military finds
Archaeologists recently uncovered a mysterious Roman-era settlement site in Germany, complete with building remains and hundreds of artifacts dating back nearly two millennia. The Schafbreite site, located within the western German town of Delbrück, has been settled since the first century A.D. The site was recently excavated by the Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe (LWL). In a June 13 statement, the LWL announced the results of its excavation, revealing a trove of discoveries that mostly date back to the fourth and fifth centuries A.D. Officials identified hundreds of ancient features at the site, including numerous holes in the ground that were likely from ancient wooden posts. After months of careful digging, archaeologists also found two "clearly identifiable" buildings, along with two pit houses, two wells and a cremation grave — along with several hundred artifacts. "Seven hundred and fifty individual finds were recovered from the ancient cultural layer preserved under a thick ash soil, 600 of which were metal," said the LWL's statement, translated from German to English. Archaeologists also explained that the site "must have been settled at different times, making it a multi-period settlement site." "The finds from various periods also show the inhabitants had access to Roman material culture." "The finds from various periods also show that the inhabitants had access to Roman material culture," the press release said. The statement added, "The new excavations have expanded the picture of this site, as a burial has now been confirmed: The isolated cremation grave contained remains from the pyre, such as charcoal, cremated remains and parts of burned grave goods." In the burial section, archaeologists found that one decedent was buried with a spearhead, two garment clasps and a broken bone comb, in addition to "a fire steel, and an animal head buckle with fittings." "Experts date this buckle to the 4th or 5th century based on its shape. It further confirms the settlers' contact with the Roman cultural sphere, as it belonged to the Roman military belt," officials said in a statement. Historians were unable to identify the mysterious burial. The LWL speculated that the deceased person may have been a Germanic mercenary in the Roman military. "[It's] a special find, as it is the first burial in East Westphalia where parts of a Roman military belt have been detected, previously only known from surface finds in other regions," officials said. Other discoveries at the site included a cattle trough, a construction pit with ceramics and a three-foot-wide well that was made from tree trunks. "The organic preservation was so good that we recovered not only wood but also a leather fragment and even an insect wing," excavation manager Sven Knippschild noted. He added, "Completely extraordinary and unique for the Migration Period in Westphalia was the discovery of a beam piece with various tool marks on the last day of excavation." "[It] was certainly once part of a house and was later recycled for the well construction." Sven Spiong, a lead archaeologist at LWL, said the site offers a glimpse into what life was like during the Migration Period. The era, also known as the Barbarian Invasions, was a time of significant upheaval and change in Europe, lasting from roughly 300 to 600 A.D. "Sites like these help us better understand how the people of the region lived and worked during the arrival of the Romans and in the following centuries." "Sites like these help us better understand how the people of the region lived and worked during the arrival of the Romans and in the following centuries, what interregional contacts and connections they had, and how the settlement structure changed during the Migration Period," Spiong said. Even though the excavation has wrapped up, the recent discoveries are just the beginning of researchers' study of the archaeological site. Experts plan to analyze the wood and charcoal found at the site to help date the site more precisely. Archaeologists will also look at some soil from the well to learn more about what the area around Bentfeld was like over 1,600 years ago. "This [study] may reveal changes in vegetation, landscape, and settlement between the time around the birth of Christ and around 400 A.D.," LWL archaeologist Julia Hallenkamp-Lumpe noted.
Miami Herald
17-06-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
Shallow hole turns out to be rare 1,600-year-old structure in Germany. See it
Sifting through damp soil in northwestern Germany, archaeologists found hundreds of artifacts, dozens of traces of long-gone buildings and a few rare structures. The remnants were often mundane but sometimes extraordinary. Altogether, the finds offered a glimpse into life about 1,600 years ago. A team of archaeologists began excavating a site near Bentfeld in November 2024 ahead of residential construction, the Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe said in a June 13 news release. Previous work in the area had exposed some remains of an ancient settlement so archaeologists knew they'd find at least something. But as they began digging, the team quickly realized the site had a longer and more varied history than initially suspected. In total, archaeologists identified the ruins of two houses, two wells, a cremation burial and about 750 artifacts, officials said. The most sensational finds emerged near the end of the project, archaeologists said. Sven Knippschild, the excavation leader, said they initially thought a shallow indentation was a livestock watering hole. Instead, the hole turned out to be a 1,600-year-old wooden well, officials said. Excavations uncovered a section of wooden pipe built from three tree trunks and measuring over 3 feet across as well as some other beams and wicker used to construct the well. Photos show the ancient wooden artifacts. One of the beams from the well still had processing marks on it and several character-like carvings, archaeologists said. Wooden artifacts or structures are generally rare finds for archaeologists because the material decays quickly unless preserved in a low-oxygen environment, such as in mud or water. At the Bentfeld site, the natural preservation quality was so good that the team also found a section of leather and an ancient insect wing, Knippschild said in the release. On top of the 1,600-year-old well, the team unearthed a layer of charcoal with small burnt bones and a few glass beads, possibly traces of a since-removed burial. They also found a separate cremation burial with a Roman military belt, bone comb, garment clasps and spearhead. Archaeologists finished excavations at the site near Bentfeld and plan to continue analyzing their finds. Bentfeld is a village in northwestern Germany and a roughly 270-mile drive southwest from Berlin. Google Translate was used to translate the news release from the Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe (LWL).
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Metal detectorist discovers unique golden artefact from Roman-era Germany: 'I could hardly believe it‘
A metal detectorist has found a unique 1,600-year-old tiny Roman padlock in Germany, shedding light on miniature craftsmanship in the ancient civilisation. The padlock, measuring just over a centimetre in size, was found in the northwestern region of Westphalia. "The golden miniature box lock is completely unique in Europe," archaeologist Michael Rind from the Westphalia-Lippe Regional Association said. Researchers found the artefact was a miniature version of locks used across Rome in the third and fourth centuries, hinting at trade between the empire and northern Germany during this time. "I could hardly believe it when I held the find in my hand because such Roman locks are usually much larger and are made of iron or bronze parts,' the metal detectorist, Constantin Fried, said. The lock's remains included only its cylindrical component, but in ancient times it likely had a key and a chain as well. "Someone had obviously poked around in the lock at the time, probably to break it open or remove a blockage," Mr Fried said. Initial restoration work revealed that the central cylinder was made of iron. More detailed CT scans, utilising neutrons instead of the conventional X rays, found the lock's inner mechanism included a spring, bolt, baseplate, guide rail, and a pin. The padlock could have been used to protect jewellery boxes or chests, similar to their modern counterparts, researchers said. They were unsure, however, as to why such an intricate lock was made and what it was used to enclose by its German owners. Researchers made a larger replica of the lock in brass and steel to better understand its mechanism. It suggested a 'high level of craftsmanship' of Roman blacksmith and metalworkers, according to LWL cultural director Barbara Rüschoff-Parzinger. Researchers also concluded that the Westphalia region interacted with Rome during that time. "Was it a one-off or have similar precious miniatures simply not been found before? We will continue to work on these and other questions,' Mr Rind said.
The Independent
30-01-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Metal detectorist discovers unique golden artefact from Roman-era Germany: 'I could hardly believe it‘
A metal detectorist has found a unique 1,600-year-old tiny Roman padlock in Germany, shedding light on miniature craftsmanship in the ancient civilisation. The padlock, measuring just over a centimetre in size, was found in the northwestern region of Westphalia. "The golden miniature box lock is completely unique in Europe," archaeologist Michael Rind from the Westphalia-Lippe Regional Association said. Researchers found the artefact was a miniature version of locks used across Rome in the third and fourth centuries, hinting at trade between the empire and northern Germany during this time. "I could hardly believe it when I held the find in my hand because such Roman locks are usually much larger and are made of iron or bronze parts,' the metal detectorist, Constantin Fried, said. The lock's remains included only its cylindrical component, but in ancient times it likely had a key and a chain as well. "Someone had obviously poked around in the lock at the time, probably to break it open or remove a blockage," Mr Fried said. Initial restoration work revealed that the central cylinder was made of iron. More detailed CT scans, utilising neutrons instead of the conventional X rays, found the lock's inner mechanism included a spring, bolt, baseplate, guide rail, and a pin. The padlock could have been used to protect jewellery boxes or chests, similar to their modern counterparts, researchers said. They were unsure, however, as to why such an intricate lock was made and what it was used to enclose by its German owners. Researchers made a larger replica of the lock in brass and steel to better understand its mechanism. It suggested a 'high level of craftsmanship' of Roman blacksmith and metalworkers, according to LWL cultural director Barbara Rüschoff-Parzinger. Researchers also concluded that the Westphalia region interacted with Rome during that time. "Was it a one-off or have similar precious miniatures simply not been found before? We will continue to work on these and other questions,' Mr Rind said.
