Archaeology - Historical excavation documents about Kyffhaüser discovered
By chance, a crate with excavation documents regarding finds from the years 1937/38 was discovered in the inventory at Kyffhäuser. "It's fortunate that the material from the ancient finds is once again available", says Robert Knechtel, head of the regional office for monument preservation and archaeology (TLDA) in Thuringia. "Generations of researchers have been waiting for this." The crate was handed over to TLDA representatives by the business manager of the Kyffhäuser Foundation, Andreas Kirchner.
The crate contains hundreds of index cards with pencil and pen drawings of ceramic finds. These include fragments of jugs, pots, cooking pots, and drinking bowls from the 11th to 15th century. This material allows for precise temporal dating to the respective decade through decades of research. The original finds are now located in Jena, Weimar, Halle, Bad Frankenhausen, and on the Kyffhäuser. "A large part of the pieces is lost", says excavation leader Holger Grönwald.
Moreover, the index cards indicate the corresponding excavation sites. "This allows for a temporal and spatial arrangement within the upper castle on the Kyffhäuser", explains Grönwald. "Now, we can better understand the past excavation activities as we have integrated their location into our documentation." Additionally, concentration areas may indicate where important buildings once stood. "The Nazis destroyed the traces of the Middle Ages in their search for a 'Height Sanctuary', which did not exist." During the excavations in the years 1937/38, the goal was to find Germanic origins in the form of a 'Height Sanctuary'. Valuable finds from the Middle Ages were destroyed in the process.
New Insights
The information on the index cards will be entered into a database in the future. The location information shows where the finds were discovered on the castle.
Until now, the recorded conquest of 1118 was the only reliable source for the Kyffhäuser. Through renovation work in the monument area and preparatory archaeological investigations, the source material was re-evaluated. The collection of index cards expands the knowledge that can be integrated into the new museum educational concept of the Kyffhäuser Foundation. Furthermore, the excavations in the castle area, which began last year, will be continued with the next upcoming construction projects.
The historical significance of the discovered crate at Kyffhäuser in Saxony-Anhalt cannot be overstated, as it contains valuable archaeological data from excavations conducted in 1937/38. This information, documented on hundreds of index cards with drawings of ceramic finds, will significantly enhance our understanding of the castle's past.
Interestingly, these cataloged artifacts provide insights into the specific excavation sites, enabling us to arrange them both temporally and spatially within the upper castle. This newfound knowledge could potentially help pinpoint the locations of significant historical buildings that were destroyed or obscured during the Nazis' search for a mythical 'Height Sanctuary'.
Upon re-evaluating the source material after renovation work and archaeological investigations, it becomes apparent that the collection of index cards expands our understanding of the Kyffhäuser's history beyond the 1118 conquest, providing invaluable input for the Kyffhäuser Foundation's museum educational concept.
