Zauschwitz sacrificial site
The young Bronze Age sacrificial site of Zauschwitz , a district of Pegau- Weideroda, in the district of Leipzig (formerly in the district of Borna ), is located on the edge of the Leipzig lowland bay, near the western bank of the White Elster in Saxony . The site is located on a spur that is bordered by the Elstertal in the east. It is about a 100 m long row of pits from the Young Bronze Age (1300–800 BC) Lusatian culture , which is of particular interest, since there is no detailed equivalent in Central Europe. Human and animal bones and artifacts have been found in some of the pits , which are discussed in the literature as indicative of cannibalism and human sacrifice .
Research history
The nature of the subsoil led to the mining of clay for the brick industry (Zauschwitz / Alte Grube) as early as the first half of the 20th century , and finds were already being recovered. After 1945 the State Museum for Prehistory in Dresden felt compelled to carry out archaeological investigations in advance of the clay mining. Approximately 30,000 m² of space has been examined in 25 years. The focus also shifted to findings and finds in a row of pits from the Young Bronze Age. The barely structured pits have an elongated shape and were examined by Werner Coblenz .
description
A row of pits separating a settlement runs from WNW to OSO through the excavation site. The pits, which can only be found below the black earth soil, separate at an average depth of 0.65 m. At a depth of one meter, the pits, which cannot be clearly defined in the upper area, have been divided into individual objects. Due to the erosion, an original average depth of 2.5 m can be expected. The cross-section almost always has the shape of a trench. Up to 55 cm high earth bridges in the lower part separate the individual pits from one another. The investigation of the pit contents carried out by W. Baumann in 1970 provided details that are important for the interpretation of the system.
Finds
The distribution of finds reveals a scheme. At the bottom of the pit there were piles of pebbles that had been brought in from the Elsterterrasse. The bulk of the finds come from the upper part of the pit. In addition to stone and bone tools, bronze objects and broken earthenware, there are human remains. Human skeletal parts are available from 25 pits, with extremities in particular reaching the pits. In addition, there is human corpse burn, which obviously also originates from body parts, and animal bones (deer). Part of the bones shows traces of violence. In addition, no vessel got into the pits unshattered.
chronology
In what period the pits were dug and backfilled could not be determined. Since significant material was not found in every pit, it is difficult to classify the pits chronologically. W. Baumanns considers a short sequence of the formation of the pits he examined to be possible. Provided that the order of the pits reflects a chronological sequence, material from pits 1, 15 and 45 was examined. This suggests a sequence of around 50 years.
interpretation
The original assumption that it was a village enclosure had to be abandoned after the simultaneous settlement on both sides of the row of pits was discovered. Apparently, according to H.-J. Vogt, ritual acts were performed in a timed rhythm that resulted in human sacrifices. Even if the motives for the actions are unclear, the facilities should be sacrificial pits, as A. Stapel does not rule out. A new examination of the human skeletal remains, animal bones, ceramics and silices should answer the question of the genesis of the finding.
literature
- W. Coblenz: Skeleton graves from Zauschwitz, Kr. Borna . In: Work and research reports on the Saxon soil monument maintenance 5, 1956 pp. 57–119
- W. Coblenz: New Bronze Age settlement pits with traces of fire from Zauschwitz, Kr. Borna , based on excavation findings and documentation by C. Fritzsche. In: Ausgrabungen und Funde 23, 1978 pp. 13-26
- H. Grimm: Human bones in ceramic and Bronze Age pits in Zauschwitz (Weideroda community, Borna district) . Work and research reports on the Saxon soil monument preservation 34, 1991, pp. 7-21.
- A. Neugebauer & W. Coblenz .: The excavations in Zauschwitz. In: Ausgrabungen und Funde 1, 1956 pp. 67–70
- A. Stapel: Bronze Age landfills in the settlement area In: Tübinger writings on prehistoric and early historical archeology, Volume 3 Münster / New York / Munich / Berlin: Waxmann, 1999, ISBN 978-3-89325-735-5
- Heinz-Joachim Vogt: The Young Bronze Age sacrificial site of Zauschwitz, Ot v. Weideroda, District of Borna . In: F. Schlette and D. Kaufmann (eds.): Religion and cult in prehistoric and early historical times . Akademie Verlag, Berlin 1989
Individual evidence
- ^ W. Coblenz published on the Young Bronze Age complexes of Zauschwitz both graves and findings on settlements, taking into account the chain of pits, especially in "Excavations and Finds" 3, 1958, 22ff .; 9, 1964, 83ff .; 23; 1978, 13ff .; 17, 1972, 48ff., Plates 9a and b; 24, 1979, 1ff., Plate 2b and in the work and research reports on the Saxon soil monument preservation 11/12, 1963, 59ff.
- ↑ with skull fragments and parts of individual extremities, such as tibia, humeri, fingers, toes, fibula dominating, so that no corpses, but apparently only individual human parts, especially extremities, got into the pit In: H.-J. Vogt p. 242
- ↑ W. BAUMANNS 'observations seem significant for the interpretation as well as the dating of the row of pits, who pleaded for a short succession of the two objects he examined. In: H.-J. Vogt p. 242
- ↑ Obviously, actions in which human sacrifices were carried out were carried out in a certain, so far not fixable temporal rhythm. So it could be sacrificial pits ... In: H.-J. Vogt p. 243
- ↑ Due to the composition of the human skeletal parts (...) from Wiederoda-Zauschwitz (OPI. No. 38) among which in particular skull fragments and parts of individual extremities (...) with z. Sometimes the most varied traces of violence occur, the question of Bronze Age human sacrifices arises again In: A. Stapel p. 193