So, what's that, you'd love me to tell you about the astronomical Neolithic death pits at Pömmelte? Okay, well, since you asked so nicely... /1 
Pömmelte is a small village south-east of the German city of Magdeburg. These days it's fairly chill, but a couple of thousand years ago, this place was... a big, big deal. /2
In fact, what was found there was such a big deal, archaeologists and local government chose to reconstruct it, rather than simply excavate it. /3
Simply, what was found was a shrine of around 100m in diameter, consisting of rings (that would have had timber posts driven into them) and ditches. Pits in the ditches showed evidence of serving as sacrificial receptacles. /4
Inside the pits were found ritual depositions - bits of pot, animal bone, and human skulls. Over the several centuries the site was in use, this was a place of sacrifice, including human. /5
Openings in the Pömmelte 'ring-shrine' aligned with sunset and sunset during traditional festival periods - this site was obviously as regulated by the movement of the sun as the nearby Goseck Solar Circle and Britain's Stonehenge. /6
Indeed, the site is around the same age as Stonehenge, and archaeologists have posited that both it and Stonehenge represent a shared culture that prized trade, astronomy and the building of massive shrines. /7
It's thought that the Pömmelte ring shrine would have regularly drawn worshippers, traders and auxiliary personnel for hundreds of miles away - making this part of Germany the centre of trade, politics and culture. /8
Ongoing study of Pömmelte, sacrificial pits, and the landscape of the surrounding area is essential in understanding just how the movement of people, goods and ideas made this particular corner of Central Europe such a powerhouse of the period. /9
Not gonna lie, the fact that the bones in the Pömmelte pits have been determined to belong women and children - and that charring shows fire was involved - does raise some pressing questions about what exactly went on here. /10
If you'd like to know more about the Pömmelte shrine (and the death pits), this is a great article. /11 smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ger…
You can of course visit the site as part of the 'Himmelswege' (Heavenly Paths) tourist trail of Neolithic sites.
While you're there, make sure to visit @MuseumHalle! /12 himmelswege.de
While you're there, make sure to visit @MuseumHalle! /12 himmelswege.de
Hope you enjoyed that - the coming year is a big one for archaeology - especially in Germany! /FIN
