Pit settlement on Petersteich

On the left a reconstructed pit house, behind it the trees around the Petersteich, on the right an arable land with the former settlement area (2015)

The mine house settlement on Petersteich is an early medieval desert south of Süpplingenburg in Lower Saxony , which mainly consisted of mine houses . The former name of the settlement is not known, as there is no written record , e.g. from medieval documents .

Location and discovery

The deserted site is located on what is now arable land south of Süpplingenburg in the Petersteich corridor on the southeast slope of a slight hill. To the east, bordering on the former settlement area, lies the Petersteich in a depression, which is now silted up and surrounded by trees. The Salzweg used to be an old north-south trade route to the west of the settlement . A stream that supplied water ran near the settlement. Wells probably existed on the settlement area since one specimen was excavated.

In 1992 the aerial archaeologist Otto Braasch discovered the desert during a reconnaissance flight. He photographed around 80 dark spots in a field and reported his discovery to the Lower Saxony State Office for Monument Preservation , on whose behalf he carried out systematic flight surveys at the time . The evaluation of his aerial photos showed that there was about 12 to 20 m² of rectangular soil discolouration. This suggested the remains of mining houses . The spots were visible over an area of about two hectares , which was initially assumed to be the original size of the settlement. Geomagnetic studies in 2003 showed that the settlement area was much larger at around four hectares.

Excavations and finds

Lecture by the Helmstedt district archaeologist Monika Bernatzky at the Lower Saxony State Office for the Preservation of Monuments on the excavations, 2016

In the years from 2002 to 2011, the Helmstedt district archeology carried out an educational excavation in annual campaigns . It was carried out under the direction of the archaeologist Monika Bernatzky by the Archaeological Working Group of the Helmstedt District, founded in 2002 . In this way, around 2% of the settlement area with around 1200 m² could be archaeologically examined. 14 pit houses were uncovered, each of which was sunk about one meter into the ground. A total of up to 500 pit houses, some of which are overlaid by new construction, are assumed. The simultaneous existence is estimated at 20 to 30 buildings. Individual pit houses had up to five construction phases. Inside there were hearths and dome stoves. In addition, the presence of storage buildings is assumed based on the post holes detected . The finds include loom weights , broken vessels, animal bones, an ornate bronze needle, iron scissors, a rectangular bronze fibula with an animal motif and objects carved from bone, such as a bone flute and bone needles as ornaments. There were also colored glass beads, such as a red glass bead, which is dated to the 9th century. A clay spindle whorl found in the same mine is also attributed to this period. Roughly worked pot shards that were found in a settlement pit and date from the 7th to 8th centuries were even older . The finds of spindle whorls, pins and scissors have shown that textile production was the largest handicraft area in the settlement at that time. Stake marks indicated tablet weaving . There were also remains of a forge with nobility equestrian accessories , such as rider spurs and an arrowhead. In one building lay rubble from the 12th century made of bricks , window glass and glazed roof tiles made of clay. These are unusual components in the rural environment of the time, which were likely to have come from the demolition of a nearby stately or church building. The bones found in the sandy building floors were mainly pigs, cattle, sheep and poultry bones. Since the bone remnants were very small, it is concluded that the quality of the meat supply, such as slaughterhouse waste, was inferior.

reconstruction

Reconstructed pit house at the original site (2015)

From 2013 to 2015, one of the excavated pit houses from around the year 1000 was reconstructed in its original location. A pit house with a floor area of 15 m² was built, sunk one meter into the ground and covered with thatch . It used to be a weaving house and, because of the dome stove, it was the center of life for a family. According to the excavation findings, the walls consist of wickerwork with clay cladding. The timber was provided by the Lower Saxony State Forests . Inside, the house reconstruction was equipped with a loom and a false ceiling to increase the usable area. The house is used for cultural tourism by “medieval” handicraft events , seminars and by school classes as an extracurricular learning location .

interpretation

Based on the finds and findings , it is assumed that the mine house settlement on Petersteich existed between the years 850 and 1200, while the ceramic finds speak for the 10th century until around 1230. The individual buildings were used intensively for living and handicrafts. The finds indicate a settlement with agriculture and handicrafts. It will be a stately farmyard of the Süpplingenburg Castle , about 1.5 kilometers away , the ancestral seat of Emperor Lothar III. , supposed. The economic strength of the settlement, especially with the textile production, could have contributed to the establishment of Lothar's rule. The pit houses, which have been renewed again and again, and the high total number with several hundred buildings are remarkable, which is unique in northern Germany .

literature

Monika Bernatzky, Birthe Lehnberg: The medieval settlement on Petersteich near Süpplingenburg, Ldkr. Helmstedt. Preliminary report in: News from Lower Saxony's Prehistory 78/2009, pp. 149–174
Monika Bernatzky: The old village on Petersteich. An exhibition project by Kreisarchäologie Helmstedt in: Archäologie in Niedersachsen 12/2009, pp. 148–150
Monika Bernatzky: 1000 years ago. Weaving for the nobility, dukes and emperors - pit houses on Petersteich near Süpplingenburg in: Window into archeology. 300,000 years of history in the Braunschweiger Land around the Elm , Braunschweig, 2013, pp. 145–170
Monika Bernatzky: Replica after 1000 years: Living and working in the pit house in: Archeology in Lower Saxony 18/2015, pp. 48–51
Monika Bernatzky: A settlement near Süpplingenburg in: The grave field of Gevensleben. People in the Braunschweiger Land between 750 and 1150 AD , (Guide to the Prehistory and Early History of Lower Saxony; Vol. 31), Isensee Verlag , 2018, pp. 61–70