Necropolis of Soderstorf

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Necropolis of Soderstorf
Nekropole von Soderstorf
Soderstorf Steingrab g.jpg
The megalithic grave of Soderstorf
Necropolis of Soderstorf is located in Germany Necropolis of Soderstorf
Shown within Germany
Location Soderstorf, Lower Saxony, Germany
Coordinates 5308'38?N 1010'08?ECoordinates 5308'38?N 1010'08?E
Type Necropolis
History
Periods Neolithic to Iron Age
Cultures Funnelbeaker, Corded Ware, Tumulus, Urnfield
Site notes
Excavation dates 1883, 1970
The Necropolis of Soderstorf is a prehistoric cemetery in the valley of the Luhe
river valley near Soderstorf in the Lneburg district of Lower Saxony, Germany. The
site was used for more than 2000 years. It includes a megalithic tomb, a tumulus
tomb, a stone circle, paving stones, funerary urns and a flat grave.

Contents [hide]
1 The megalithic tomb
2 Tumulus tomb
3 Urnfield cemetery
4 Flat grave
5 See also
6 Further reading
The megalithic tomb[edit]
The megalithic tomb was erected between 3500 and 2800 BC by people of the
Funnelbeaker culture in the Neolithic period. The grave was excavated in 1883 and
given Sprockhoff number 682. The tomb has an east-west orientation and measures ten
by three meters. It consists of eleven supporting stones which carry four
capstones. The inner chamber measures 6.2 by 1.65 meters and is still covered by a
mound of earth near the supporting stones. The entrance is located on the southern
long side, slightly off the center. It was built on a round hill which was raised
during the Bronze Age for more burials and surrounded by a stone circle. The floor
of the inner chamber was covered with granite boulders.

Further investigation started in 1970 demonstrated that the tomb had been used in
multiple phases. Finds from the early Funnelbeaker culture were few. Finds from the
subsequent Corded Ware culture proved to be more numerous in the chamber and its
surroundings. In the early Bronze Age the hill was transformed. The grave
associated with the redesign had probably been destroyed accidentally during the
1883 excavation. The arm rings found then could be probably considered as grave
goods from that period. In the early Bronze Age the hill was surrounded halfway up
with a second narrow stone circle. In the hill bed cremated remains were found that
exhibit the usual burial custom of the time.

Details of the megalithic tomb's inner chamber

Tumulus tomb[edit]
South of the megalithic tomb is a Bronze Age tumulus with a stone ring around its
foot. Tombs of this kind are characteristic for the Tumulus culture named after
this burial practice. Soil discoloration indicated two treetrunk coffin burials. A
palstave and bronze needle were found as grave goods. There were more tumuli in the
area which have been destroyed.

Urnfield cemetery[edit]
The Urnfield culture which succeeded the Tumulus culture is also represented at the
site. This culture was named after its method of burial as well, the burial of
cremated remains in urnfields. An urnfield cemetery with 940 graves dating to the
early Iron Age lies between the megalithic tomb and the tumulus tomb. The graves
are covered by heterogeneous stone pavement of up to four meters in diameter next
to a standing stone. Circles of small stelae surround the graves and probably
served to mark the graves and to protect the earthenware vessels. Occasionally, the
cremated remains lay in a small stone box. Mainly adults were buried here, it was
mostly women whose urns lay under the cobblestone pavement.

Megaliths and small stelae surround the graves in the urnfield cemetery
Flat grave[edit]
In a less densely populated part of the urn cemetery a flat grave was found which
dated to the Funnelbeaker culture. A stone axe was found as grave good.