Gravestele of Niederdollendorf
The Niederdollendorf grave stele was found in 1901 during construction work on a factory site in Niederdollendorf (district of Königswinter in North Rhine-Westphalia ). It represents a unique testimony to early Christianity in the Rhineland and is exhibited today in the LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn .
Stone burial chambers, weapons, jewelry and clay vessels were recovered along with the stele . Since there were no planned archaeological excavations, it can only be assumed that this is a Franconian cemetery from the 6th to 7th centuries. The 53 cm high, 22–25 cm wide and 16–19 cm thick stele made of Lorraine limestone is provided with human figures on the front and back. On one side is the motif of a mustached man combing his hair with his right hand and his sword with his left. On the other side, a person is depicted whose head is surrounded by a wreath of lights and who carries a lance. The comb and sword indicate a Frankish origin in the 7th century, the wreath of lights and lance as symbols for holiness and rulership on the representation of Jesus Christ .
Both Germanic and Christian symbols can be found on the Niederdollendorf grave stele. The Germanic symbolism , which is still clearly in the foreground, makes the find unique.
Back of the tombstone
Side view of the tombstone
literature
- Günter Zehnder (Ed.): 100 pictures and objects. Archeology and art in the Rheinisches Landesmuseum Bonn. Bonn 1999.