Zeuzleben burial ground

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Coordinates: 49 ° 58 ′ 42.2 "  N , 10 ° 4 ′ 46.2"  E

Zeuzleben burial ground
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Reconstruction of the grave house (grave 25) of Zeuzleben from 530-540 AD.

Reconstruction of the grave house (grave 25) of Zeuzleben from 530-540 AD.

location Bavaria , Germany
Location Zeuzleleben
Zeuzleben cemetery (Bavaria)
Zeuzleben burial ground
When Early 6th century - early 7th century
Where Zeuzleben , Lower Franconia / Bavaria
displayed Archeology Museum in the Franconian Open Air Museum Bad Windsheim (barn)

The old Thuringian cemetery of Zeuzleben from the Merovingian era was discovered in 1983 by the farmer and collector Fridolin Beßler. It is located in Zeuzleben , part of the Werneck market in the Bavarian district of Schweinfurt in Lower Franconia .

Find description

In the spring of 1983, when Fridolin Beßler began building on his property, dark discoloration came to light in the ground during the earthworks. As a knowledgeable member of a history association, he informed the State Office for Monument Preservation in Würzburg. Then the entire area was systematically examined for two years until almost all the boundaries of a prehistoric burial ground were reached. Around 75 tombs were counted.

In addition to the graves of humans, some animal graves (at least 15 horses and four dogs) were also found. These are probably victims , the horses were usually beheaded. Numerous animal bones prove that the deceased were given plenty of food.

Almost all of the graves were robbed; shortly after the grave field was abandoned around 600, it appears to have been looted.

Grave house of a Merovingian noblewoman

The center of the burial field was a burial house with an aristocratic burial place . A woman of about thirty-five was lying in the burial chamber, which was about 5.20 m long and 3.20 m wide, on a four-wheeled cart , which at that time had been mounted directly in the chamber at a depth of about four meters for the burial place. The harness of the horse- drawn carriage was laid down behind the wagon .

The pit above the burial chamber was not filled in with earth, as usual, but was paneled with wood and provided with a hut-like structure, so that the room was accessible and protected from the weather.

Interpretation of the finds

The grave goods prove the connections between those settlers and the cultural area in northern Old Thuringia . Around the year 530 a noble family, whose original seat was possibly northern Old Thuringia, settled here with their followers and founded a settlement which they gave the name Zeuzleben , which is unusual for this region (previously: Zutilebe , Zuzeleibe ). On - live ends of many altthüringische place names in Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt . These settlers buried their dead on the cemetery in Zeuzleben for around 70 to 80 years.

Further finds from Merovingian row grave fields of the early Middle Ages attest to the cultural changes that began in the 6th century with the Frankish conquest of the Main region and in the grave field . The areas previously inhabited by Alemanni and Old Thuringians became increasingly Merovingian.

The burial house was probably used for a communal funeral with plenty of food and drink, to which the deceased of the clan and followers were probably "invited".

Permanent exhibition

Bad Windsheim, Franconian Open Air Museum, No. 104, sheep barn from Virnsberg

The Archeology Museum in the Franconian Open Air Museum Bad Windsheim is a branch museum of the Munich State Archaeological Collection and is housed in the sheep barn within the Middle Ages assembly. The faithful reconstruction of the multi-storey grave house of the old Thuringian nobles from Zeuzleben with a car, jewelry, household items and clothing is one of the most impressive exhibits of the exhibition.

Remarks

  1. ↑ See the Merovingian burial ground of Zeuzleben
  2. ↑ See ibid.
  3. ↑ See Zeuzleben on werneck.de
  4. ↑ See the Merovingian burial ground of Zeuzleben
  5. ^ See Archeology Museum in the Franconian Open Air Museum Bad Windsheim

literature

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