On March 24, news emerged that archaeologists discovered two Neolithic tombs in the development area of the Magdeburg factory in Germany planned by Intel, which may lead to a delay in the construction project.
Before starting construction, the State Heritage Management and Archaeology Office (LDA) of Saxony-Anhalt conducted a survey of this 300-hectare industrial park and found two large wooden burial chambers dating back about 6000 years, located about 200 meters apart, containing a large number of human and animal remains.
Archaeologists believe that this was a very complex burial and ritual site used for an extended period. They think that these burial chambers were likely built by the Baalberg people, who dominated the central Germany and Bohemia regions between 4100 BC and 3600 BC.
The archaeologists from LDA have been exploring the area since 2023, and this work is scheduled to be completed in April 2024. The Intel factory has not yet started construction, and LDA’s press release does not mention any project delays.
LDA’s survey indicates that there is a corridor between these mounds, used as a procession route for rituals during the Globular Amphora culture period (3300 BC to 2800 BC).
In one of the tombs, human skeletons were placed at the front, suggesting it was a “chariot tomb.” Archaeologists note that this Neolithic burial feature involved burying the deceased in front of a chariot, with the dragging animals “creating the image of a charioteer or an ox pulling a plow.” The human remains are believed to be from a male aged 35 to 40 years, and the sacrificed oxen were 2 to 3 years old at the time.
LDA describes these discoveries as astonishing, but finding ancient tombs in the area is not unusual. In the industrial park planned by Intel, these burial mounds form a small hill called “Eulenberg,” while the surrounding area is relatively flat or undulating, a geographical feature often considered to be man-made.
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