Kategorie: News
New research voyage to the 3500 year old burial mound
The burial mound in the ‘Sweet Lake’ (Süße See) is a sensational find. It provides information about the life of the people in this region. The lake in Saxony Anhalt (Germany) is an important contemporary witness - especially for the settlement of the region.
In 2018 and 2019, a burial mound from the Bronze Age was discovered in the ‘Sweet Lake’ (Süße See) near Halle. Archaeologists examined it by sonar at the time, but the quality left much to be desired (see also news article "Underwater robot reveals secrets"). Now the researchers want to try again and plan to use the latest technology to conduct a new investigation of the Bronze Age burial mound, which is about five meters deep and around 3,500 years old.
The present lake bed was heavily populated in the Bronze Age. The rock formation, which is a reminder of the long-gone life of people in central Germany, is located on the edge of an ancient peninsula in the middle of the lake.
The underwater archaeologists set off in search of artifacts with a research vessel which is equipped with sonar devices. Project manager Sven Thomas told the German Press Agency, "Contour sharp, the sonar captures the environment with its powerful laser and delivers high-resolution 3-D images."
"The first images already showed that the stones are arranged according to the typical structure of a barrow, including a stele as a so-called 'guard stone'. A hydromagnetic analysis even confirmed the presence of metals inside the mound," says Sven Thomas, State Office of Historic Monuments and Archeology Saxony-Anhalt.
But the lake is not only an important witness for the locals, but also for climate change. Thus, at the end of the 19th century, the heavily promoted mining led to the collapse of the surface and groundwater regimes of the entire region. The bottom of the lake holds research material from the Bronze Age through the Middle Ages to modern times.
There are other interesting findings. For example, underwater researchers have also come across the remains of buildings and jetties with lengths ranging from 20 to 50 meters dating from the 11th to 15th centuries. In addition, numerous collapse areas have been discovered on the lake bottom. The pits, up to four meters in size and one meter deep, indicate that the subsoil of the lake is still constantly changing.
Sven Thomas explains that the settlement must have extended far into the lake at that time. "This is at least indicated by finds, such as a horse harness and a medieval jug. Likewise, remains of a lagoon exist in front of the Carolingian settlement of Wormsleben."