Latest news with #RegionalAssociationofWestphalia-Lippe
American Military News
2 days ago
- Science
- American Military News
1,600-year-old settlement discovered with Roman military artifacts
A Roman-era settlement estimated to be roughly 1,600 years old was recently discovered by archaeologists in Delbrück, Germany. The archeological discovery included the remains of at least two buildings and hundreds of ancient artifacts. According to Fox News, the Roman-era settlement was recently discovered as part of an excavation by the Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe (LWL) at Schafbreite, which is located in Delbrück, Germany. In a statement obtained by Fox News, the LWL confirmed that hundreds of ancient artifacts were discovered at the Schafbreite location, with most of the artifacts traced back to the fourth and fifth centuries A.D. Fox News reported that archaeologists uncovered two 'clearly identifiable' buildings, two wells, two pit houses, a cremation grave, and hundreds of artifacts as part of the excavation. The LWL stated, 'Seven hundred and fifty individual finds were recovered from the ancient cultural layer preserved under a thick ash soil, 600 of which were metal.' According to Fox News, LWL archaeologists noted that the site of the excavation appears to have been 'settled at different times, making it a multi-period settlement site.' 'The finds from various periods also show that the inhabitants had access to Roman material culture,' archaeologists added. READ MORE: Captain Cook's lost ship found off Rhode Island coast Fox News reported that Sven Spiong, one of the lead archaeologists for LWL, suggested that the mysterious excavation provides insight into the Migration Period, which took place from 300 to 600 A.D. Spiong explained, '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.' LWL confirmed that an 'isolated cremation grave' was discovered during the excavation and that archaeologists discovered that a person was buried with a spearhead, a broken bone comb, two garment clasps, a fire steel, and an animal head buckle. 'Experts date this buckle to the 4th or 5th century based on its shape,' LWL stated. 'It further confirms the settlers' contact with the Roman cultural sphere, as it belonged to the Roman military belt.' According to Fox News, while researchers were not able to identify the burial, the archaeological organization suggested that the individual could have been a Germanic mercenary who served 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,' the LWL said.
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).
Miami Herald
10-06-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
Hobbyists dig up 4,500-year-old blade, lead archaeologists to sensational find
A group of amateur archaeologists made a surprising Neolithic discovery at a construction site in northwestern Germany that stunned even professionals. They had unearthed a 4,500-year-old flint blade fragment — a rare Stone Age find — in the Kernmünsterland region, along access roads to an area under development, according to a June 10 news release from the Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe. Flint blades, or knives, were ancient cutting tools made from flint stones, according to Cotswold Archaeology. Experts said the heavy clay soils in the Kernmünsterland are not ideal for artifact preservation, and as a result, they have discovered hardly any Stone Age sites in the region. When staff of the Archaeology Center for Westphalia were shown the find, they decided to investigate the site themselves, according to the release. While conducting their own search, they found an even older artifact associated with the creation of small arrowheads dated to the Middle Stone Age between 9650 and 4900 B.C., officials said, calling it a sensational discovery. Experts said the layer of soil where the artifacts were discovered has been severely disturbed by years of cultivation, making a full-scale excavation of the site unnecessary. Officials said they expect to find more individual artifacts that could shed light on the ancient history of the region. The Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe Archaeology Department is now monitoring the construction project, according to the release. Google Translate was used to translate the news release from the Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe.
Miami Herald
27-05-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
Expansion of town cemetery reveals 3,000-year-old Bronze Age graves in Germany
Archaeologists are investigating a 3,000-year-old gravesite discovered during the expansion of a modern-day cemetery in Germany. An excavation team learned the site, at the Espelkamp municipal cemetery in the village of Frotheim, was once a cremation burial during the Bronze Age into the Iron Age, according to a May 26 news release from the Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe. Archaeologists documented 41 finds at the site, including 13 urn graves, several cremation nests and several cremation burials with the remains of the funeral pyres, according to the release. Experts said cremation became a common practice in the late Bronze Age and would remain the norm until the Middle Ages. Archaeologists believe the cremated remains found without an urn and with the ancient funeral pyres are more recent and likely reflect a shift in beliefs about the afterlife, according to the release. Two urns were discovered at the Espelkamp municipal cemetery in 1956 and 1967, during the construction of new graves, experts said. The excavation team will continue to investigate the site and preserve any artifacts uncovered, according to the release. The village of Frotheim is about a 130-mile drive southwest from Hamburg. Google Translate was used to translate the news release from the Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe.
Miami Herald
04-04-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
2,000-year-old Roman ring, dagger found buried under ruins in Germany. See them
In northwest Germany, near the site of the 1,600-year-old Roman military camp Anreppen, archaeologists discovered evidence of an ancient agricultural settlement. Three farmsteads unearthed at the settlement in present-day Delbrück-Bentfeld date back to the first centuries AD during the Romans' push into Germania, according to an April 1 news release from the Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe. One of the farmsteads had a primary residence and two outbuildings that were likely used for textile production, experts said. Archaeologists found a gemstone engraved with the image of the Roman god Mercury, which they believe was part of a 2,000-year-old ring. As the god of trade and transport, Mercury is depicted holding a purse in one hand, and a staff in the other, experts said in the release. Archaeologists found an iron knife with brass stripes dating back to the Roman Empire buried deep beneath the cellar floor of an outbuilding. The knife was fully intact and buried with the blade sticking straight up. Researchers said since it was buried so deep, it likely wasn't meant to inflict injury. Archaeologists are questioning if it had a cultic purpose, buried as a building offering meant to ward off evil. Coins, pottery fragments, non-ferrous metals and remnants of a kiln were previously discovered at the site, experts said. Researchers said they believe residents of the settlement produced textiles and jewelry, according to the release. Delbrück-Bentfeld is about a 105 mile-drive northeast from Düsseldorf. Google Translate was used to translate the news release from the Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe.
