Archaeologists are excavating the site of a Bronze Age kingdom in the north Germany have uncovered remains of what they say was a surprisingly densely populated community of farmers and traders whose lives were upended by climate change.
Traces of eight large houses were exposed in the sandy soil outside the village of Seddin, about 95 miles (150 km) northwest of Berlin, near the spectacular “triple tomb” of King Hinz, remembered as a kind ruler, who was laid to rest. allegedly in a golden coffin, next to his wife and a loyal servant.
The discovery of their burial mound in 1899 spurred waves of scientific research and tourism at the site, which continued off and on in the years that followed.
Over the past year, archaeologist Immo Heske and teams from the University of Göttingen and the Brandenburg State Office for Historic Preservation have found the outlines of an imposing royal assembly hall from around 900 BC, believed to have been used for celebrations and trade fairs. They recently uncovered a group of houses meters away that may have helped house a community of up to 300 people over two centuries under a succession of monarchs.
Heske called the discovery of a “sea of houses” in a 2,000 square meter plot of land “extraordinary” and said it more than justified months of work at the remote site. He said their building style reflects that of the king’s assembly hall, also on a west-east axis, raising the likelihood that the smaller houses went up at about the same time in an era of great expansion.
“It was intended as a permanent settlement. Metalworkers lived here, carpenters, women who looked after the stove, farmers and stockmen,” said Heske. “People could expect to live to 50 or even 60 and there were many generations living together under one roof.”
The two-story hall measuring 10 meters by 30 meters, one of the largest Nordic Bronze Age structures ever discovered, is thought to have had a pitched roof, a banqueting room, living quarters for the ruler’s family, separate rooms for more intimate gatherings . to conduct business or discuss private matters, space for grain storage and doors that opened outwards to allow easy escape in case of emergency.
That “big surprise” led to further exploration of the site, which led to the discovery of post stumps and baked clay ovens, which enabled the tracing of rough floor plans of a number of dwellings of various shapes and sizes.
The kingdom is believed to have been a key center of trade between north and south. “In the south they would have drunk wine, here they probably drank flour and then talked business,” said Heske. “The Bronze Age was a time of communication to get the raw materials from other regions that were needed.”
The rise of the Iron Age disrupted that fertile time of exchange. “For iron, you can make it local – you don’t have to promote contacts, intermarriage and transactions.”
The other major transformation for the community came with a dramatic cooling of the climate around the time of the transition from the Bronze to the Iron Age. “It got a lot colder and wetter, which helped bring about the end of the settlement,” Heske said. “It became more boggy, there were probably mosquitoes and there was an impact on the grain crops. People have given up on this area and moved on.”
He said the site around the dig was spared significant damage during World War II, so it was one of the best-preserved Bronze Age settlements in Germany. Excavation work will continue at least next year, then local officials will want to do more to accommodate history buffs.
The Prignitz region of Brandenburg where the dig is taking place has traces of human life dating back further than 3000 BC. Today, rural Seddin is home to just over 100 people.
