Burial mound with a keyhole

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Scheme of the burial mounds

Burial mounds with keyhole trenches are a feature of burials that can be found in Central Europe from the Late Bronze Age to the Early Iron Age .

Distribution area

The previously known distribution area extends from northwest Germany over the area of ​​the Lower Rhine burial mound culture , Rhineland-Palatinate, the Netherlands with a focus on the provinces of Groningen , Drenthe , Overijssel , Noord Brabant and Limburg , Belgium and France to the Atlantic coast.

description

During the younger Bronze Age around (1200 to 800 BC) it was customary to burn the dead on a stake . The corpse burn was picked up and buried in urns or organic containers. Some of the burials, which were laid down on large grave fields , took place under mounds of earth surrounded by trenches that can be seen as a dark discoloration in the ground.

The trenches can be divided into three forms based on their geometry :

  • Circular trenches (often) - also tangential
  • Keyhole trenches (relatively or locally frequent)
  • Long trenches (rare)

In cemeteries of the younger Bronze Age ( Ankum , Plaggenschale in the district of Osnabrück Nordrheda district of Gütersloh and in Dortmund -Oespel), a particularly large number of keyhole trenches could be observed in addition to circular and long trenches. These trenches run continuously or are interrupted in the vicinity of the atrium (“key bit approach”). Sometimes the forecourt is even partially separated from the round sector by a trench segment ( Wildeshausen ). The burial mounds on the Radberg near Reken- Hülsten, excavated from 1926 onwards, were the first where the trenches were discovered. Circular trenches from the Iron Age were excavated in Rheine -Altenrheine in North Rhine-Westphalia .

The round circular trenches usually have a diameter of between 2.0 and 4.0 m. The keyhole-shaped systems, however, are larger. Their length is generally between 4.5 and 9.5 m. Their circles have a diameter of up to 6.0 m. The width of the atrium can be 5.0 m. In individual cases (Wildeshausen), however, all dimensions can be doubled. It is assumed that the enclosed area, which contains one or two burials, was completely covered (especially in the circular and long trenches) or only in the round part. Here you can also find traces of postings . In some of the systems, a round paved area could be observed at the transition from beard to hill, which was delimited with stones from the hill. It is seen as a cult niche.

In many cases, remains of more or less incomplete vessels could be observed on the bottom of the trench, the condition of which is likely to be seen in connection with the grave rite (offering). Among the grave goods , (decorated) bones and bone tools, which in Wildeshausen are interpreted as parts of a horse harness, are extremely rare. The addition of bronze objects could only rarely be observed. This is typical of the Late Bronze Age cemeteries. In addition to fragments of cloth needles, razors, mandrel knives and a so-called egg-head needle are among the more conspicuous pieces. An unusual addition comes from a children's grave in Rheda-Wiedenbrück (Gütersloh district). The decorated, precious bronze basin, presumably imported from Saxony-Anhalt, shows that it belongs to the upper class, as does a richly decorated bronze amphora from Gevelinghausen (Hochsauerlandkreis) from the 8th century BC. BC, which served as an urn , but was originally a cult vessel.

See also

literature

  • J. Eckert: Of keyhole trenches and long beds. In: Archeology in Lower Saxony , Vol. 4, 2001, pp. 88–91.
  • A. Friederichs: Düstrup and Galgenesch, two grave fields from the end of the Bronze Age and the beginning of the Iron Age in the urban area of ​​Osnabrück. In: Urn cemeteries in Lower Saxony. Volume 15. Hildesheim 1992.
  • de Soto, Pautreau, Wilbertz: Compilation of Bronze Age long trenches and keyhole trenches between Aller and Dordogne. In: B. Hansel (Ed.): Man and Environment in the Bronze Age of Europe / Man and Environment in European Bronze Age. Kiel 1998, pp. 557-559.
  • B. Trier (Hrsg.) G. Wand-Seyer: The young Bronze Age grave fields of Gladbeck, Herne and Recklinghausen. In: Soil antiquities of Westphalia. No. 22, 1985.
  • Otto Mathias Wilbertz : A district ditch cemetery with keyhole ditch from Handrup, Ldkr. Emsland. In: Die Kunde NF No. 34/35, 1983/84, pp. 139–156.
  • Otto Mathias Wilbertz: Long trenches and keyhole trenches of the Younger Bronze and Early Iron Ages between Aller and Dordogne , Verlag Marie Leidorf , Rahden / Westphalia, 2009
  • Klemens Wilhelmi: On the distribution and alignment of keyhole-like tombs from the younger Bronze Age in northwest Germany. In: Archaeological correspondence sheet. No. 4, 1974, pp. 339-347.

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