Medieval settlement sat untouched in Germany for years — until now. Take a look

Archaeologists recently unearthed the remains of a medieval Slavic settlement and associated burial ground in Germany.

The centuries-old site was discovered during an excavation in Wettin-Löbejün, a town in the state of Saxony-Anhalt located roughly 100 miles southwest of Berlin.

Carried out by state archaeologists, the dig preceded the installment of an energy line that will run through the area, according to an Aug. 1 government news release.

Since work got under way in late 2023, about 1 acre of the newfound settlement has been excavated, revealing a number of artifacts.

A craft district filled with mining pits, which were used to extract bog iron, was located. And a processing site was found, which included a blast furnace with iron accumulations on its floor.

Spindle whorls — used for spinning yarn — were also discovered, providing evidence of textile production.

Further, a pair of pits measuring about 5 feet deep were located. These would have held a supply of water used by the settlement inhabitants.

Evidence for two distinct settlement phases was also found.

In the first phase, the site was surrounded by a 13-foot-wide fortification ditch.

In the second phase, this barrier was abandoned, and the settlement transitioned to a series of separate farmsteads, which were encircled by smaller ditches, measuring under 2 feet wide.

Inside these ditches, archaeologists found a pearl and a bronze bracelet.

Officials did not say exactly what period of time these phases date to.

Additionally, a burial ground — filled with human skeletal remains —was discovered west of the settlement.

The graves were lined up side by side and organized in rows, photos show.

Inside one grave, the remains of a family were found, including two children and two adults. And in another, the remains of an unidentified individual who appeared to have hydrocephalus, a disorder that causes a buildup of fluid in the brain, were found.

The site remains under investigation by a team of archaeologists, officials said.

Google Translate was used to translate a news release from the German government.

This story was originally published August 16, 2024 at 1:16 PM with the headline "Medieval settlement sat untouched in Germany for years — until now. Take a look."