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Between fields of grain and potatoes in the middle of Germany, about 18km south-east of Magdeburg, near the town of Schönebeck, lies one of the most important archaeological landscapes in Germany. The ring sanctuary of Pömmelte, built towards the end of the 3rd millennium BC – placing it on the threshold between the late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age – is now a visitor magnet, with the reconstructed monument attracting an average of 40,000 people per year. But it is not the only spectacular discovery that archaeologists have made in this exceptional prehistoric landscape over the past 20 years.
It is now clear that ritual facilities, funerary monuments, burial grounds, and settlements once stretched for almost 1.2km along a low terrace in the former River Elbe floodplain. Activity peaked during the second half of the 3rd millennium BC, at the time of the Bell Beaker culture and the emerging Early Bronze Age, which in the Pömmelte region is associated with the Únětice culture. The earliest prehistoric findings, though, stretch back to the 4th millennium BC, while the most recent belong to the Iron Age, and, more specifically, to the end of the 1st millennium BC. Since then, with the exception of an abortive attempt at coal mining in the early 20th century – and the more recent creation of a runway for gliders belonging to a local flying club – the area has been given over to agriculture.
The reconstructed prehistoric timber circle at Pömmelte. Here we see sunrise at the end of October through the eastern entrance to the ring sanctuary. This so-called ‘mid-quarter festival’ corresponds to the Celtic Samhain and is reflected in modern Halloween. Photo: © Juraj Lipták, Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-AnhaltHistory of research
The circular ditches of the Pömmelte ring sanctuary were first discovered in the early 1990s, thanks to systematic aerial survey. So-called ‘circular ditch systems’ were already known in central Germany by then, with most examples dating to the early Neolithic period. The most renowned of these early sites is a timber circle at Goseck, a good 90km further south, and another monument that has now been reconstructed. After it became clear that the enclosure discovered at Pömmelte was rather later in date, a research project was initiated.
Complete excavation of the Pömmelte ring sanctuary was funded by the DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, or German Research Foundation), and conducted from 2005 to 2008 (before being published by André Spatzier in 2017). In 2014, preparing the site for visitor access led to areas lying beyond the circle receiving archaeological attention. This revealed graves belonging to various periods and the remains of several buildings, indicating prehistoric activity across a wider area. As these relatively subtle features had not appeared in either the aerial photographs or the geophysical surveys, it was clear that understanding the Pömmelte ring sanctuary and its environs would only be possible via large-scale excavations. As such, from 2018 to 2024, further projects funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM), as well as the State of Saxony-Anhalt, focused on the immediate hinterland of the Pömmelte complex. With hindsight, it can also be seen that an initial step towards exploring this wider prehistoric landscape had already been taken in 2011, when excavations first targeted the almost identical but smaller ring sanctuary at Schönebeck, just 1km to the north-west of Pömmelte.
The spread of the Late Neolithic Bell Beaker culture (orange, c.2500-2200 BC) and the subsequent Early Bronze Age Únětice culture (yellow, c.2200-1500 BC) in Europe. The Pömmelte site is marked with a star. Map: © Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-Anhalt
Superimposing the plans of Stonehenge (yellow) and Pömmelte (blue) shows a similarly complex concentric structure and the same outer diameter (roughly 115m). Image: © Anna Swieder, Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-Anhalt; data source for Stonehenge: Cleal et al. 1995, and for Pömmelte: André Spatzier & Matthias Zirm, LDA Sachsen-AnhaltWhat is a ring sanctuary?
The ring structures at Pömmelte – which comprise circular and segmental ditches, an external rampart, and several rings of internal timber uprights and palisades – fall within the category of ‘henge monuments’. When discussing such structures, Stonehenge inevitably springs to mind. This seems apt, as Pömmelte displays several characteristics comparable to the celebrated monument on Salisbury Plain, including sharing both the same external diameter of around 115m to 118m and a complex arrangement of internal circular structures. The similarities do not stop there. Although the earliest monument at Stonehenge was established around 3000 BC, it was only c.2500 BC that it took on the scale and form more familiar to us today. This reconfiguring of Stonehenge is not far off the construction date of Pömmelte, which was built around 2350 BC. Instead of monolithic stones, though, the uprights in central German ring sanctuaries were fashioned from oak trunks, as has been demonstrated by the analysis of numerous charcoal samples. This wood could have been sourced from either the nearby Harz Mountains to the south or – even more efficiently from a transport perspective – floated down the Elbe from the Ore Mountains to the west. An abundance of timber can be contrasted with the scarcity of suitable rock for megalithic structures, perhaps explaining the reliance on wood.
A digital terrain model of the terrace on which the ritual landscape between Pömmelte and Schönebeck lies (the terrain is 2.5 times exaggerated). To the east (right) is the larger circle at Pömmelte, while to the west is the smaller henge at Schönebeck. The two oxbows created by the Elbe River to the north and south would have created a kind of island during times of flood. Image: © Data GeoBasis-DE / LVermGeo LSA; Data license German Version 2.0; DGM2; map Anna Swieder, Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-AnhaltWhy there?
Today, the wealth of this region stems from its location on the north-eastern edge of the Magdeburg Loess plain: an area of incredibly fertile black soils that can be counted among the most productive in central Europe. Little wonder, then, that the first farmers would have been attracted to such a region. These pioneers advanced westwards along major rivers, such as the Elbe. Although no traces of them have been found over the 15ha investigated at Pömmelte, a settlement belonging to this period (c.5450-4775 BC) and associated with the Linearbandkeramik culture (Linear Pottery Culture, LBK) is known about 2km further down the Elbe.
So-called ‘white gold’ might also have influenced the choice of site. In nearby Bad Salzelmen, the 18th-century brine tower bears witness to the former saltworks that once exploited underground deposits nearby. Salt is known to have been important, too, to the Early Bronze Age Únětice culture, who produced specialised pottery vessels to extract salt from brine, which was then used to preserve food such as meat.
Despite these advantages, the decisive factor may have been a prime geographical location directly beside the Elbe: the key east–west connection of its day. Indeed, 5,000 years ago the river probably flowed rather closer to these monuments than it does now. Examining a digital terrain model of the site reveals that the known structures are concentrated along a length of terrace between two oxbows formed by the river. In the 3rd millennium BC, floods would have periodically trans-formed this strip of land into a naturally protected island.
The excavated areas around the ring sanctuaries near Pömmelte and Schönebeck (as of 2021). Both circles display the same complex structure of circular ditches and palisades. The Corded Ware era enclosures are also located nearby, with the one at Schönebeck somewhat smaller, just like the later circle. No contemporary buildings have been identified at the Schönebeck circle so far. Image: © Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen Anhalt; Grafik J Filipp, CAD-Pläne M Zirm, A Grünewald, A Spatzierπάντα ῥεῖ (‘everything flows’)
Although the precise role that the Elbe played within the ritual landscape has yet to be clarified, it is tempting to see parallels with the River Avon and Stonehenge. In that case, the river connected Stonehenge to the monuments at Durrington Walls via the Cursus, and it is conceivable that the Elbe acted as an integral part of the sacred landscape too. As well as these fluid links, it is noticeable that Neolithic and Bronze Age burial mounds also played a role in shaping both landscapes.
Despite centuries of research, the UNESCO World Heritage Site prehistoric landscape in southern England is still capable of springing fresh surprises. While study of the Pömmelte and Schönebeck landscape got off to a much later start, the landscape around these ring sanctuaries can be considered – after 13 campaigns lasting several months – the more extensively excavated.
There is another notable difference between the hinterlands of Pömmelte and Stonehenge: apart from the buildings at Durrington Walls, which were probably used temporarily and most likely served as a ‘workers’ settlement’ for the builders of Stonehenge, no houses have been discovered in association with the southern English monuments. One would expect such structures, though, both to house those maintaining the monuments, and to cater for what would surely have been seasonal influxes of visitors. Because of this need, a settlement was specifically sought in Pömmelte, ultimately producing traces of some 140 houses – more than the archaeologists had dared to hope for.
Before we examine these buildings in more detail, let’s set the scene by taking a quick ride through the millennia…
This trapezoidal ditch, measuring roughly 11m by 20m, was created in the first half of the 4th millennium BC, and represents the oldest monumental structure in the Pömmelte ritual landscape (it lies to the south-east of the later ring sanctuary, visible in the background of the image). A person was buried centrally within the enclosure, which was presumably covered with a mound, making it visible from afar as a landmark. Image: © Matthias Zirm, Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-AnhaltSacred and profane
A sanctuary rarely stands alone. As with the Stonehenge landscape, so too numerous additional structures and grave monuments have been discovered along the Elbe, in particular to the east of Schönebeck. A first step towards the monumentalisation of this landscape took the form of a burial dating back to the 4th millennium BC.
Later on, roughly 500 years before the two ring sanctuaries were created, two precursor structures were erected c.2800 BC. These took the form of enclosures that were roughly square in plan. The first example was found at Pömmelte in 2008, while the second followed in 2020, to the south-east of the Schönebeck ring sanctuary. The sides of these enclosures measure around 14m and 11m respectively, with both examples incorporating two entrances aligned on the summer and winter solstices. The prehistoric ground level during this period has been lost, and there is no evidence of structures within the enclosures, while the finds amount to a handful of sherds of storage vessels from the ditches. Although we can only speculate about the function of these enclosures, the absence of drinking vessels and animal bones would seem a poor fit with the sites serving as venues for communal activities such as ‘feasting’.
This enclosure was created c.2800 BC, with entrances that were orientated on the solstices. It was discovered in 2020, to the south-east of the Schönebeck circle. The blocks of upstanding earth visible in the photograph contain burials from a laterurn field belonging to the late Bronze Age or early Iron Age (c.1,000–500 BC). Image: © Tim Grünewald, Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-AnhaltIn this early stage, from around 2850 BC, at least four large burial mounds were also constructed in the Pömmelte area. A wooden funerary hut stood inside each of these, and contained an individual – a male, so far as can be determined – alongside a collection of flint blades, as is typical for the era. These monuments were the handiwork of a prehistoric group known as the Corded Ware culture, which spread over eastern Europe and was active in the region from c.2900 BC to 2050 BC.
Houses from the early 3rd millennium BC are currently absent from Pömmelte, but they were encountered on the site of the later ring sanctuary at Schönebeck. There, seven houses were identified and associated with the Schönfeld culture, a local group that existed at the same time as the Corded Ware people.
The remains of two houses erected by the local Schönfeld culture (from c.2850 BC) in front of the entrances to the later Schönebeck circle. Image: © Matthias Zirm, Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-AnhaltAn absence of accommodation is also apparent at Pömmelte during the era of the later Corded Ware culture, from around 2550 BC onwards. Even so, intensive use of the site is evidenced by two pit clusters, each comprising up to 80 individual silos, which were used for storing and perhaps pre-germinating grain. A third cluster was detected as well, during a geophysical survey of the glider runway. Individual pits have a capacity of up to one ton. Based on modern per capita grain consumption of 100kg per year, each of the pit clusters could have fed almost 800 people for a year. That is assuming, of course, that the contents were intended to be eaten: barley has been found in some of the pits, and that could have been pre-germinated to make malt to brew beer. Either way, the scale of these storage facilities stands in stark contrast to the handful of other features known from the era. There are no other signs of a sizable population, with only about ten simple burials from the area, and an absence of monumental structures.
That changed decisively c.2350 BC, when members of the Bell Beaker culture raised the most impressive monument known in the region: the Pömmelte ring sanctuary. It was orientated towards the so-called ‘mid-quarter festivals’, which fall between the solstices and equinoxes. In Pömmelte, the two main entrances are oriented towards sunrise and sunset at the end of October and the beginning of February, an arrangement that was presumably intended to express power and/or religious significance in some form. Another indication of use was provided by the deposits in the 29 pits sunk into the ditch of this henge (see CWA 127): huge millstones, hundreds of cattle bones, and drinking and storage vessels were packed into shaft pits almost 2m deep, presumably presenting the remains of communal meals. Seven skeletons belonging to women and children were also found in the pits and so connected to these events. These, though, were the only archaeological clues relating to activity within the ring sanctuary, as thousands of years of subsequent cultivation at the site had removed the prehistoric ground surface. Despite this loss, it might be suspected that the circle was intended to fulfil a multifunctional role. That would certainly fit with the massive communal effort required to create such a monument, with supra-regional events for markets and gatherings of many kinds conceivable.
Excavation of the last quarter of the Schönebeck circle under way in 2022. The outer and inner ditches are being dug using offset trenches in order to capture a continuous section. The outer ditch was still over a metre deep in places. Image: © Matthias Zirm, Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-AnhaltThe same applies to the Schönebeck henge, which was built shortly afterwards. Its outer diameter of around 80m is smaller than that at Pömmelte, but otherwise, so far as we can see, both sites display identical construction. It was only in 2022 that the final quarter of the Schönebeck complex was uncovered. Two trenches were opened, with the results subjected to a suite of techniques in cooperation with the State Office for Geology and Mining and the State Office of Criminal Investigation in Saxony-Anhalt. Evaluation of this ring sanctuary is currently under way in a DFG-funded project led by Tim Grünewald.
Although contemporary buildings dating to the 24th/23rd century BC were not found at Schönebeck, they were encountered at Pömmelte, where the ring sanctuary stood within an increasingly busy landscape. Excavations revealed a settlement featuring house plans typical of the Bell Beaker culture. In total, 12 buildings are known, spread over an area of around 27,000m², stretching from the vicinity of the henge entrances towards the south. This settlement is currently the largest of its kind known in central Germany, with burial areas arranged at its east and west exits. There, almost 40 graves were found, with the deceased placed in a characteristic crouched position, facing east.
The transition to the Bronze Age occurred around 2200 BC. It is believed that the local Únětice culture probably arose out of the Bell Beaker culture, on the strength of shared burial customs and the evolution of pottery styles. On this matter, aDNA studies are expected to provide final clarification. Continued use of the ring sanctuary certainly fits with this general backdrop of continuity. Indeed, the settlement, which once consisted of a dozen buildings, grew to comprise in total over 100 structures. Seemingly, then, the ring sanctuary gained in significance over the following two centuries.
A reconstruction of the Pömmelte ring sanctuary shortly after its ‘opening’, around 2300 BC. In the foreground, some of the buildings making up the settlement can be seen. The smaller, cigar-shaped houses at the centre of the image correspond to the house plans of the Bell Beaker culture. The larger longhouses, in the foreground, were reconstructed based on floor plans dating to the Únětice culture. Image: © Karol Schauer, Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-Anhalt Settlement as far as the eye can see
In total, buildings can be found over an area about 800m in length and up to about 190m wide, thus respecting the natural relief of the ‘island’. Initially, the Únětice buildings filled the gaps between the older Bell Beaker houses, and only later began to replace them, ultimately creating a settlement that was approximately three times the original size.
Interestingly, there are no transitional house forms. Instead, the characteristic, two-aisled Únětice longhouse with an entrance on its southern long axis was being built in its fully developed form from the beginning of their era, around 2200 BC. Even so, all 106 Early Bronze Age buildings did not stand at the same time: they represent several settlement phases that span roughly two centuries. This is demonstrated by some buildings being built over earlier ones, and radiocarbon dates from charcoal belonging to the supporting posts, which were usually oak. The floor plans are oriented along the main east–west axis and only vary in length, which ranges from over 30m to less than 15m. The width of the structures is always around 7m. It therefore appears to be a standardised building plan: the first Deutsche Industrienorm (German industrial standard) for construction!
A typical Bell Beaker burial from the cemetery at the eastern end of the settlement. The deceased is facing east and was placed in the grave pit in a crouched position, with arms and legs drawn up. A bowl was placed near their feet. All of the Bell Beaker drinking vessels from the site contained lipid residues from dairy products, which were probably the true grave goods. Image: © Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-AnhaltOnce again, the prehistoric occupation levels have been lost, so only general observations can be made about the use of individual buildings. Hearths and ovens have not been preserved, but they may have been placed at the short, western end of the building, where the flue might have been placed in the roof. Curiously, postholes for walls have not been traced along the corresponding, eastern side of these longhouses, making it is conceivable that some kind of gate existed there. Perhaps this indicates that this portion of the building was used as a stable. Intriguingly, phosphate analysis of an Únětice longhouse in Schloßvippach, Thuringia, showed significantly increased values in the eastern part of the building, which would fit with long-term animal husbandry there. In Pömmelte, though, more recent farming has resulted in phosphate-containing fertiliser being regularly applied to the land, making such investigations rather less meaningful.
Understanding how the different parts of the longhouses were used is also crucial for estimating the number of inhabitants who could be housed in this settlement. Setting the average building length at 20m would result in around 140m² of floor space. In Germany, the current living-space requirement per capita is 47.5m² (Federal Statistical Office, 2023), so only three people could live in our Bronze Age house today. Of course, that will not correspond to the prehistoric reality, when 10m² is probably a more realistic estimate per person. That would allow for sleeping space, fireplaces, and possessions too, meaning that half a longhouse would perhaps accommodate seven people, more or less corresponding to a modern nuclear family with grandparents.
The reconstructed circle at Pömmelte seen from above, showing the complex arrangement of internal structures. The outline of the earlier, Corded Ware era, enclosure is visible to the right. Image: © Matthias Zirm, Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-AnhaltThe key question, of course, is whether the buildings were all permanently inhabited by local people, or intended to accommodate non-locals visiting the ring sanctuary in large numbers at certain times of year. To assess this, we can continue our calculations: if we allow three equal phases of settlement, that gives us about 35 longhouses in each. Assuming the buildings were permanently occupied, that would mean around 250 or – if there were no animals stabled in the longhouses – 500 people. This figure can be set against the 85 contemporary burials that are currently known. Could this discrepancy be explained by a huge, undiscovered Únětice necropolis lying dormant beneath a field, or only select individuals being buried in this way? As far as the latter possibility is concerned, analysis suggests that all age groups and both males and females are represented in the graves. The burials are also markedly egalitarian in nature, with only sparse grave goods. Perhaps, then, this is an indication that the longhouses at Pömmelte were not all permanently inhabited, and instead mainly used to accommodate visitors for a limited time.
Study of the animal bones from the Pömmelte site has yet to be completed, but the initial results show the range of farm animals common to the Únětice culture and the meat that was being consumed: mainly cattle, followed by sheep/goats, a small amount of pork, and very little game. Analysis of food residues shows that dairy products were eaten, too, with grain dishes probably forming the staple diet. Around 350 circular storage pits are associated with the settlement, and probably held grain – just like the earlier Corded Ware culture pit clusters. Millstones and parts of flint sickles indicate that this produce was being harvested nearby and processed on site.
One pit in the Pömmelte settlement turned out to be a well. This was located on the southern edge of the settlement, directly opposite its centre. The well was repaired several times, and survived to a depth of over 1.5m. Here we see the remains of the well casing. Image: © Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-AnhaltA well lay at the southern edge of the settlement, and was repaired several times. The impressions of two different forms of wooden lining were discovered during the excavation, one woven from wickerwork and the other made of bast. Unfortunately, the wood itself had long since decayed, while the absence of a waterlogged environment also meant that the sediment contained too little pollen to reveal what crops and natural flora were growing in the immediate vicinity of the settlement.
Other subterranean facilities at the settlement include two special pits that acted as a ‘refrigerator’ and an earth cellar, both of which were probably used by several households. The former was created by digging a narrow hole, which was only accessible from one side, and inserting an upright pithos: a barrel-shaped storage vessel. The fired clay can absorb the soil moisture, thus allowing the pot – and its contents – to stay cool in the ground. With a cover, this device was ideal for storing perishable food in a cool, dark place. Sadly, we do not know what this pithos contained, as residue analysis was inconclusive.
This storage vessel, a pithos standing nearly 70cm tall, was positioned upright in an accessible pit and probably acted as a prehistoric ‘refrigerator’ for perishable food. Image: © Franziska Knoll, Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-AnhaltThe earth cellar was much larger than the ‘refrigerator’, and still survived over a metre deep. Allowing for the soil that has been lost gives an original depth of almost 2m. There is no sign of steps dug into the earth, so access was probably via a ladder that could be pulled out to prevent pilfering. Traces of two floors were preserved at the bottom of the cellar, with the most recent made of wooden boards and thus offering a solid surface. No trace remained of the goods that were presumably once stored there, and this cellar was ultimately backfilled with rubbish. A small pot belonging to the developed Únětice culture and dating to the 20th century BC lay among this detritus. The date it suggests was confirmed by radiocarbon dates from two animal bones in the fill, showing that the earth cellar remained in use until the settlement was abandoned.
This subterranean feature, approximately 1.30m deep, is considerably larger than the standard Early Bronze Age settlement pits. The cavity also contained a wooden floor (the thin black band indicated with the blue arrow). It may have been used as a kind of cellar for storing perishable food. Since no steps are visible in the profile, entry and exit must have been via a ladder. When the cellar was abandoned, it was quickly filled with rubbish. A slightly chipped pot was also thrown into it upside down. Image: © Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-AnhaltThe end
Although the available data cannot permit certainty at this stage of the evaluation, our working hypothesis is that the settlement – and also the ring sanctuary – came to an abrupt end in the 20th century BC. The reasons for this are still unclear. One possible trigger could have been a marked deterioration in the climate (such as the 4.2 kya event, see CWA 127). There is nothing to indicate a violent end to the settlement, which – on the strength of the archaeology – operated in a fairly egalitarian manner. It is notable, though, that the centre of power of the Únětice culture, whose strongly stratified society was presided over by rulers who are often described as ‘princes’, shifted from the vicinity of Pömmelte to the south at exactly this time. A new material – bronze – would go on to make the Únětice ‘lords’ even more powerful at the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC. It was they who controlled the trade in raw materials between the north (such as tin from Cornwall) and the south (including copper from the Alps). Among the most remarkable expressions of the possibilities that this trade presented is the Nebra Sky Disc, which is securely dated to the Únětice culture, with a creation date around 1800 BC (see here).
The northern half of the Schönebeck circle during the 2011 excavation. The two large circular ditches associated with the ring sanctuary are overlain by several smaller circular ditches, sketching out the edges of later burial mounds, dating to the Middle and Late Bronze Age. By then, the 3rd millennium BC circle had been forgotten. Image: © Andreas Poppe, GEO-Metrik, Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-AnhaltIn the subsequent Bronze and Iron Ages, the ‘island’ was transformed into a pure sacred landscape. The Pömmelte and Schönebeck ring sanctuaries were forgotten and became a necropolis. This initially took the form of a burial ground with at least 40 mounds; then, when cremation became more common, an adjoining urn burial ground was created at Schönebeck. Around 80 vessels have so far been recovered from this in blocks, so that they can be excavated under laboratory conditions. We can expect the results to shed even more light on life and death in this extraordinary prehistoric landscape.
A Late Bronze Age urn, which contained the cremated remains of a deceased person. It forms part of a burial ground discovered in 2020, to the west of the Schönebeck circle. Image: © Niklas Bormann, Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-AnhaltFurther information:
• Today, the ring sanctuary in Pömmelte, which was rebuilt in 2016 on the original site, can be experienced all year round and free of charge. The tourist information centre, which opened in 2023, replicates the shape of the Únětice longhouses (pictured below). It is built from (rammed) earth, the oldest building material in the world, which was also used in the Early Bronze Age buildings.
• The Pömmelte ring sanctuary is also part of an archaeotourism route called the Himmelswege (Sky Paths, https://www.himmelswege.de/en), which connects the site where the Nebra Sky Disc was found with key monuments of astronomical importance.
Image: © GOLEHM, Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Sachsen-Anhalt