Picture four concentric rings. They form an oval at the Kreisgraben bei Schkölen. This remarkable site near Leipzig is more than just circles in the ground. It’s a window into the Late Bronze Age a time between the 10th and 9th centuries BC. The outer two rings are ditches. The inner two are narrow palisade ditches. Think closely packed posts. The central area is surprisingly small only about 200 square meters.
Archaeologists stumbled upon the Kreisgraben bei Schkölen during the construction of the JAGAL natural gas pipeline. Imagine the surprise. A Bronze Age secret unearthed by modern technology.
The outer ditch is impressive two meters wide and about one meter deep. It’s remarkably regular. It could have been dug in one go. The second ditch is wider and deeper in places. It might have been dug gradually. Think of numerous pits eventually forming a ring. This is a pattern seen elsewhere. This complex was accompanied by rows of posts about three meters apart. Unfortunately only fragments remain.
What treasures did the Kreisgraben bei Schkölen yield? Pottery helped date the site. There were also animal bones horse cattle and smaller mammals. More exciting were the finds of bronze arrowheads a needle fragment bronze wire and a bronze bracelet. Broken pottery and animal bones were found lower down. The bronze objects and a single human skull were higher up. What does that mean? Did someone carefully place these items?
The Kreisgraben bei Schkölen is special. Similar ring structures date back to the 5th millennium BC. Ring structures in central Europe ended around 3500 BC. This one is significantly younger. The function likely changed over time. Archaeologist Christoph Steinmann suggests a ritual purpose. He points to similar developments in the British Isles. However some believe it may have had a more practical use perhaps as a corral for livestock.
The Kreisgraben bei Schkölen whispers stories of our past. It’s a testament to the ingenuity and beliefs of Bronze Age people. A place where rituals may have unfolded. A place where history lies buried and unearthed.