Archaeologists in central Germany have uncovered a 7,000-year-old pit filled with beaver bones, shedding light on how early farming communities may have hunted animals for their fur. The discovery was made near Alsleben in Saxony-Anhalt during preparatory work for a major electricity transmission project.
The excavation is part of investigations linked to the SuedOstLink power line, developed with the involvement of 50Hertz. The route passes through areas known for early settlement, prompting archaeological surveys before construction begins.
Teams from the State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt have identified remains from several periods, including the Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age. One small pit, however, has stood out.
About 80 centimetres wide, the pit contained a dense concentration of animal bones. The presence of beaver teeth, easily recognised by their orange-brown colour, led to closer examination. All of the bones were found to belong to beavers.
To preserve the find, the pit was removed in a single block and analysed in a laboratory. Radiocarbon dating placed it between 4935 and 4787 BC. This links it to the early Neolithic and the Stroke-Ornamented Ware Culture, known for its decorated pottery.
The remains represent at least twelve animals. The bones are well preserved and largely intact, allowing researchers to identify both young and older individuals. However, the skeletons are incomplete and not arranged in order, indicating that the animals were not buried whole.
Researchers believe the beavers were skinned and the bodies left to decompose before the bones were collected and placed in the pit. The focus on a single species suggests a deliberate activity rather than general waste disposal.
Beavers would have been common along the nearby River Saale, making them accessible to hunters. Their fur, valued for its warmth and durability, would have been useful for clothing. The number of animals involved points to organised hunting rather than occasional capture.
Material evidence for fur use rarely survives, making finds like this uncommon. The bones provide indirect evidence of how animal resources were used and managed. They also point to knowledge of local wildlife and the ability to plan and carry out such activities.
According to experts: “Alsleben find thus not only points to specialised hunting strategies in the early Neolithic period, but also allows us to draw conclusions about clothing at that time, which we can imagine to have been quite elaborate.”
Header Image Credit : State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt
