Oldest grave in Leipzig city area uncovered
On a school construction site, experts found a roughly 7,000-year-old crouched burial from the Linear Pottery culture.
IllustrationAt a glance
- Excavation covers more than 5,000 square meters in Leipzig-Möckern
- Crouched burial without grave goods is considered oldest burial in the city area
- Settlement remains date back to the Linear Pottery culture 7,000 years ago
On the site of a planned elementary school complex in Leipzig-Möckern, the Saxony Archaeological Heritage Office has discovered a roughly 7,000-year-old settlement of the Linear Pottery culture. A five-member team led by Thomas Lukas has been excavating there since July and will continue work until mid-October.
An area of more than 5,000 square meters is being examined. In the middle of the Early Neolithic settlement, the experts uncovered a burial without grave goods. It is a crouched burial, in which the body was laid on its left side with legs drawn up. The burial was located next to or inside the pit of a former house.
Rare bone discoveries in Sachsen
The find is considered the oldest grave in the Leipzig urban area. Due to soil conditions, human bones are usually poorly preserved in large parts of Sachsen, making such finds rare.
The area is located near an already known Bronze Age site. The terrain is characterized by its flood-safe location near the river Weiße Elster.
Sources
- 7.000 Jahre alte Siedlung und ältestes Grab im Leipziger Stadtgebiet entdeckt – Archäologie Online / LfA Sachsen
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