A team of archaeologists led by Marie Brinch from the Lolland-Falster Museum has unearthed the remains of what appears to be a stone-paved cellar, meticulously constructed around 5000 years ago on the Danish island of Falster. This unprecedented discovery, made at the Nygårdsvej 3 archaeological site, not only reveals the existence of complex underground structures during a period previously considered primitive but also raises intriguing questions about the level of technological and social development achieved by Neolithic cultures in northern Europe.

The excavation, carried out in the context of the expansion and electrification of a railway line, has brought to light the remnants of two overlapping phases of dwellings, associated with the Funnel Beaker Culture, which marks the beginning of the Neolithic period in the region. What has astonished the archaeologists is the discovery, within one of these habitation phases, of a carefully constructed sunken area using pebbles of various sizes, whose arrangement and shape unmistakably indicate an anthropogenic origin.

This structure, interpreted as a cellar, measures approximately 2 by 1.5 meters and is located about 40 centimeters below the surrounding ground level. The most surprising feature is its stone paving, which suggests a level of architectural planning and execution previously unsuspected for this period. The researchers explain that the presence of this paved cellar challenges our understanding of the construction capabilities of Neolithic societies. It forces us to reconsider the complexity of their domestic structures and, by extension, their social organization.

(a) Overview over the excavation. The northern trench (trench 2) and the southern trench (trench 1) are marked with rectangles. (b) Trench 2 with pits and palisade lines 1-7. Dated features are shaded and indicated by their feature-numbers. (c) Trench 1 with the two house phases. K1 is displayed in red, K2 in blue. The separated house outlines show the compacted loam floors (orange shading). In the drawing of the stone paved feature, stones located in a lower position (presumably the cellar floor) are displayed in a lighter color.
(a) Overview over the excavation. The northern trench (trench 2) and the southern trench (trench 1) are marked with rectangles. (b) Trench 2 with pits and palisade lines 1-7. Dated features are shaded and indicated by their feature-numbers. (c) Trench 1 with the two house phases. K1 is displayed in red, K2 in blue. The separated house outlines show the compacted loam floors (orange shading). In the drawing of the stone paved feature, stones located in a lower position (presumably the cellar floor) are displayed in a lighter color. Credit: Marie Brinch et al.

The Nygårdsvej 3 site, strategically located about 600 meters from the northern edge of the village of Eskilstrup, in a landscape of moraine hills, has revealed a rich variety of archaeological features. In addition to the cellar, the researchers have documented numerous post holes and pits, including the remains of a fence structure with up to seven parallel rows. This arrangement suggests a well-organized and possibly fortified settlement.

We have used advanced Bayesian models to analyze charcoal samples collected from different strata at the site. This has allowed us to establish a precise chronology for the construction and use of the cellar, as well as for the associated fence structures, the archaeologists report.

Radiocarbon dating places the site’s main occupation in the Middle Neolithic, roughly between 3500 and 3000 years before Christ. This period is characterized by significant social and economic transformations in northern Europe, including the intensification of agriculture and animal husbandry, as well as the emergence of megalithic monuments and complex communal structures.

The discovery at Nygårdsvej 3 adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting greater sophistication in Neolithic construction practices than previously thought. According to the archaeologists, this discovery forces us to reevaluate our assumptions about the technological capabilities of Neolithic societies. The presence of a paved cellar implies not only advanced construction skills but also long-term planning and a sophisticated understanding of storage and food preservation.

View of the basement floor
View of the cellar floor. Credit: Museum Lolland-Falster

The site has also yielded a rich collection of artifacts, including flint tools, pottery, and fragments of burnt bones. The concentration of these finds in and around the paved cellar suggests that this structure played a central role in the daily lives of its inhabitants. The pottery fragments, although scarce, show characteristic decorations of the Funnel Beaker Culture, corroborating the site’s dating.

Due to the limited size of the trench, the question of whether the fences at Nygårdsvej 3 were part of a larger fortification or enclosure cannot be fully answered. However, its location made the site ideal as a central place in the Neolithic period of the area. The possible longevity of activity at the site could be an indicator of this, the researchers state.

They conclude that, in general, fortified settlements likely served as gathering places where inhabitants of the area could meet, exchange goods, form alliances, and/or relationships. These settlements would have served as focal points for the inhabitants of the region and perhaps also for travelers from afar. Whether the Nygårdsvej 3 site should be considered in this context, or if a completely different interpretation is warranted, will need to be determined by further research.


SOURCES

Brinch M, Philippsen B, Groß D, Kanstrup M. Stone-Paved Cellars In The Stone Age? Archaeological Evidence For A Neolithic Subterranean Construction From Nygårdsvej 3, Falster, Denmark. Radiocarbon, 2024:1-25. doi:10.1017/RDC.2024.79


  • Share this article:

Discover more from LBV Magazine English Edition

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.