Køkkenmødding from Groß-Dunsum
The Køkkenmødding von Groß-Dunsum is an archaeological site of several hectares north of Groß-Dunsum , near the sea dike , on the geest of the island of Föhr in Schleswig-Holstein .
The multi-layered rubbish heap consisting of mussel shells was destroyed by excavations in the western part. In addition to ceramic shards, numerous implements made from bones, bones from domestic animals and from a whale were found during the work. The finds prompted Robert Knorr and Friedrich Behn to cut the elevation in 1911/12. The rubbish heap is dated to the pre-Roman Iron Age (800–450 BC). In a younger layer, next to Køkkenmødding, the remains of a house with stone paving and a hearth that had apparently existed for a very long time were uncovered.
Since Køkkenmøddinger occur in larger numbers on the North Frisian Islands, especially on Sylt , a new investigation was appropriate, also with a view to raising the marsh settlements , in order to gain insight into the layer structure and the stratigraphy of the pottery. In 1953 a 16 m long and 1.8 m wide search trench was sunk into the hill. The findings showed that over the Geest there was a layer package over two meters thick, which showed a horizontal structure in the profile structure. In the lower part there were traces of yellowish geest loam and geest sand and thin layers of ash and charcoal, interspersed with red-burnt pieces of clay. In the upper 1.50 m, the clay particles formed a higher proportion, so that the profiles showed a reddish sheen. Post holes and field stone pavement were found in all levels, the size of which could not be determined due to the width of the search trench.
While larger accumulations of mollusc shells were found primarily on the lake side, only shell nests of about one m² and a thickness of up to 0.25 m were found in the area of the search trench. The nests preferably contained the shells of one species, uniformly sized. Cockles (Cardium edule) were always found without admixtures, while nests with mussels (Mytilus edulis) and periwinkles (Litorina litorea) had no cockles. This is attributed to the fact that the habitats of the species are mutually exclusive and the shell nests represent the remains of meals collected on certain mud flats .
During the excavation in 1953, in addition to the remains of mussel meals, the remains of domestic animals, mainly cattle, and several trough-shaped millstones were recovered, which shows that agriculture was practiced. The excavation findings convey the image of a rural culture that used the tidal flats to a greater extent to supplement their food needs. Parallels can be found in the bays of the Schleswig-Holstein east coast.
Time position
The recovered pottery provided information about the age of Køkkenmødding. At the excavation site, the upper 1.5 m were characterized by vessels with a thickened, sharply faceted rim. The dominant decorative motif is formed by three circumferential grooves. This clay ware is common in settlements and on burial grounds on the North Frisian Islands and the neighboring mainland, especially in North Schleswig. J. Brandt limits their occurrence to 50 before to 50 after Christ. This is supported by the grave goods. In this short period of time, an enormous layer growth has taken place.
The numerous remains of wide-mouthed vessels with a retracted base are characteristic of the ceramics of the time. An exceptional find is an ornate, butter-bell-shaped lid with a large cross handle. A comparable piece comes from an Elderly Iron Age settlement in North Jutland. Unthickened, mostly gently curved edge profiles prevail below 1.5 m. Ornaments, plastic strips structured by impressions, which often appear on vessels from the older Iron Age, are typical here. A valuable addition to these sparse older finds from the site are the chance finds recovered from the shell excavations. Brandt placed their tripartite forms in the Middle Iron Age (Jastorf B / C after Gustav Schwantes ). This classification was made on the basis of material comparisons with Lower Saxony, especially the Lauinger type by Kurt Tackenberg . Neckless vessel forms, which are the last sequence of the former tripartite structure to have a slight shoulder heel, were found in Dunsum directly below the upper layers. The sequence of the typological successors of tripartite vessels with the ceramic types of the turn of the times does not have to be due to an interruption in settlement; it can be explained by the longevity of the Lauingen type, which Tackenberg suspects was in use from around 350 to 50 BC .
An exception is a double-conical vessel from Køkkenmødding, which, according to its shape, dates back to the Bronze Age or the oldest section of the Iron Age. Since its location within the strata is unknown, comparative finds from the Möllenknob in Archsum (Sylt) were used. The age structure of this hill seems to be the same as in Dunsum. The double-conical vessels, which in contrast to Dunsum have a sharp break, were found at the base of the Køkkenmødding by Möllenknob together with a remains of a vessel, the coarseness of which appears to be from the Bronze Age. From the circumstances of the find it is not clear whether there is a hiatus between the ancient forms and the material from the Early Iron Age. In any case, it is remarkable that vessels of ancient shapes were found in Dunsum and Archsum. It is therefore possible that the squares were used from the end of the Bronze Age to the turn of the century.
See also
literature
- Albert Bantelmann : Results of an excavation on the so-called Kökkenmödding from Groß-Dunsum to Föhr. In: Reports u. Communications on prehistory, early history, etc. Medieval archeology. Writings of the Provincial Institute for People and State Research at the University of Kiel, Offa, 15, 1956, p. 115ff
- Friedrich Behn : Excavation at Kjökkenmödding from Gross-Dunsum on Föhr . Praehistorische Zeitschrift, Volume 4 de Gruyter - Jan 1, 1913 p. 121
Coordinates: 54 ° 43 ′ 55 " N , 8 ° 24 ′ 47" E