“A stone,” you might think, “what’s so special about a stone?” But this isn’t just any stone. This is a piece of history at Laubenheimer Polderblick. It’s a silent witness to millennia gone by.
Welcome to Laubenheimer Polderblick. Here we can see a fascinating stone. It is known as the “Hinkelstein.” This menhir, a tall, standing stone, has a story that stretches back thousands of years.
Imagine this: Over 6,000 years ago, during the New Stone Age, the oldest menhirs were erected. The Laubenheimer Hinkelstein may have been placed here. It might have served a cultic or religious purpose. Mainz archaeologist Dr. Detert Zylmann believed this.
The Laubenheimer Hinkelstein is made of limestone. It dates back roughly 23 million years. That’s when the Oligocene epoch transitioned into the Miocene. It is a silent sentinel from a bygone era.
The stone was rediscovered in the 1870s. Farmers found it while plowing in the “Karpfenwiesen”. This area was once a Rhine arm. Dr. Georg Durst, director of the Alzey Museum, identified it as a menhir in 1928. He described it as a pyramidal limestone block.
Before 1870, the Hinkelstein marked a boundary. It separated Laubenheim’s meadows from Hechtsheim’s “Kuhweide,” a village enclave. The stone was moved about 120 meters during a land consolidation project around 1971.
In 1973, a survey was led by Adam Leineweber. He was a local teacher and historian from Laubenheim. The survey confirmed the stone’s identity as the menhir Durst mentioned in 1928. Doubts about it being mere waste rock were dispelled.
For many years, the Hinkelstein lay hidden. It was off the beaten path. Moss and grasses covered it. Few knew it existed. It wasn’t until April 12, 2008, that the “Mainzer Rhein-Zeitung” highlighted its existence.
The term “menhir” comes from Breton. It means “long stone.” It became a common term in archaeology. “Hinkelstein” is the stone’s popular name. It comes from a misunderstanding of “Hünenstein” which means “giant stone.”
Menhirs stand alone. They are found in circles or rows. They can be shaped or left natural. Some are decorated. These decorations provide clues to their age. Menhirs differ from erratic boulders. They were deliberately placed. They stand taller than they are wide. They mark hillsides, paths, or water sources. They are always in open fields, visible from afar.
The Laubenheimer Polderblick offers more than just a view. It offers a connection to our past. It reminds us that this land has been important for millennia. The Hinkelstein is a testament to human history. It is a landmark that has silently watched civilizations rise and fall.