A recent archaeological excavation in the city of Paderborn, located in the North Rhine-Westphalia region of western Germany, has uncovered the remains of an early medieval settlement—unexpectedly hidden beneath what was once believed to be a Bronze Age burial ground. The discovery includes a rare, ornately decorated sword belt fitting, shedding new light on the site’s medieval past.
The excavation took place on Detmolder Straße, in a field known locally as “Winkelland,” an area slated for a new housing development. As part of the preliminary archaeological work, researchers from the Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe (LWL) were initially searching for Bronze Age urn graves, based on reports from the 1930s.
Drone photo of the area that has been opened so far. Traces of settlement appear to diminish towards the northeast. Photo: EggensteinExca/Gündchen
LWL city archaeologist Dr. Sveva Gai explained, “As early as the end of the 1930s, building inspector Bernhard Ortmann had conducted investigations in the area south of Winkelland and reported a Bronze Age urn burial ground. Unfortunately, hardly any finds from this context have survived, and the documentation of the findings was not yet sufficiently extensive to meet today’s standards.”
Instead of a prehistoric cemetery, however, archaeologists discovered features dating to the Early Middle Ages, including pits, shafts, and what appear to be water management systems. “The large, round discoloration in the soft, sandy soil, initially interpreted as the remains of a burial mound, was interpreted as a water extraction site during removal,” said excavation leader Robert Gündchen. “Several such sites are distributed across the entire area and have shaft-like shapes, the walls of which were often reinforced with wood.”
Drone photo of the area that has been opened so far. Traces of settlement appear to diminish towards the northeast. Photo: EggensteinExca/Gündchen
Further features suggest that the site may have been part of a medieval agricultural zone. According to Phillip Robinson, the excavation’s co-leader, the shafts and ditches could represent the remains of a water pipe or irrigation system, pointing to extensive land use for farming both in the medieval period and in more recent centuries.
In total, archaeologists recorded approximately 300 immobile features across a more than two-hectare area. Among them was a well-preserved pit house at the southern edge of the site. Measuring two by three meters, the sunken structure included six post holes that once supported a roof, indicating a basic but functional dwelling.
The quartered and excavated pit house. The sunken holes are clearly visible, indicating the presence of posts that once supported the roof. Photo: EggensteinExca, /Gündchen
Surprisingly, the site yielded relatively few portable artefacts, which supports the interpretation of it as a utilitarian, agricultural area. Finds include fragments of pottery, charcoal, food remains, and animal bones. Experts were able to date the site primarily through ceramic analysis, with pottery styles placing it in the late 8th to 9th centuries—the period of the Carolingian Empire.
One object, however, stood out: an intricately decorated sword belt fitting made of non-ferrous metal. The piece features a braided ribbon motif and a diamond pattern, stylistic elements associated with the Carolingian “Renovatio,” or Renewal—a cultural and political revival championed by Charlemagne and his successors.
The large, round discoloration in the natural soil turned out to be a water source when cut out. Photo: EggensteinExca/Gündchen
“The elaborate decorations suggest that only a socially high-ranking person could be the owner,” said Dr. Gai. “But what this person was doing among the pit houses and irrigation ditches of the simple rural population, why they lost some of their jewelry there, and where the rest of the object may have ended up—all these questions can no longer be fully clarified.”
The discovery highlights how even seemingly quiet agricultural areas can yield significant clues about medieval life, social hierarchy, and infrastructure. For the team at LWL, the unexpected shift from Bronze Age burial ground to Carolingian-era farmstead offers a compelling reminder of the layered complexity of European landscapes.
Top Image: Fire-gilt sword belt fitting with plant ornamentation. Photo LWL-AfW/Weisgerber
A recent archaeological excavation in the city of Paderborn, located in the North Rhine-Westphalia region of western Germany, has uncovered the remains of an early medieval settlement—unexpectedly hidden beneath what was once believed to be a Bronze Age burial ground. The discovery includes a rare, ornately decorated sword belt fitting, shedding new light on the site’s medieval past.
The excavation took place on Detmolder Straße, in a field known locally as “Winkelland,” an area slated for a new housing development. As part of the preliminary archaeological work, researchers from the Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe (LWL) were initially searching for Bronze Age urn graves, based on reports from the 1930s.
LWL city archaeologist Dr. Sveva Gai explained, “As early as the end of the 1930s, building inspector Bernhard Ortmann had conducted investigations in the area south of Winkelland and reported a Bronze Age urn burial ground. Unfortunately, hardly any finds from this context have survived, and the documentation of the findings was not yet sufficiently extensive to meet today’s standards.”
Instead of a prehistoric cemetery, however, archaeologists discovered features dating to the Early Middle Ages, including pits, shafts, and what appear to be water management systems. “The large, round discoloration in the soft, sandy soil, initially interpreted as the remains of a burial mound, was interpreted as a water extraction site during removal,” said excavation leader Robert Gündchen. “Several such sites are distributed across the entire area and have shaft-like shapes, the walls of which were often reinforced with wood.”
Further features suggest that the site may have been part of a medieval agricultural zone. According to Phillip Robinson, the excavation’s co-leader, the shafts and ditches could represent the remains of a water pipe or irrigation system, pointing to extensive land use for farming both in the medieval period and in more recent centuries.
In total, archaeologists recorded approximately 300 immobile features across a more than two-hectare area. Among them was a well-preserved pit house at the southern edge of the site. Measuring two by three meters, the sunken structure included six post holes that once supported a roof, indicating a basic but functional dwelling.
Surprisingly, the site yielded relatively few portable artefacts, which supports the interpretation of it as a utilitarian, agricultural area. Finds include fragments of pottery, charcoal, food remains, and animal bones. Experts were able to date the site primarily through ceramic analysis, with pottery styles placing it in the late 8th to 9th centuries—the period of the Carolingian Empire.
One object, however, stood out: an intricately decorated sword belt fitting made of non-ferrous metal. The piece features a braided ribbon motif and a diamond pattern, stylistic elements associated with the Carolingian “Renovatio,” or Renewal—a cultural and political revival championed by Charlemagne and his successors.
“The elaborate decorations suggest that only a socially high-ranking person could be the owner,” said Dr. Gai. “But what this person was doing among the pit houses and irrigation ditches of the simple rural population, why they lost some of their jewelry there, and where the rest of the object may have ended up—all these questions can no longer be fully clarified.”
The discovery highlights how even seemingly quiet agricultural areas can yield significant clues about medieval life, social hierarchy, and infrastructure. For the team at LWL, the unexpected shift from Bronze Age burial ground to Carolingian-era farmstead offers a compelling reminder of the layered complexity of European landscapes.
Top Image: Fire-gilt sword belt fitting with plant ornamentation. Photo LWL-AfW/Weisgerber
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