Mysterious bone finds in Fulda: enigmatic remains from antiquity!

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In Fulda, bones were handed over from an excavation find in Lower Saxony that enrich the image of historical funeral rites.
In Fulda, bones were handed over from an excavation find in Lower Saxony that enrich the image of historical funeral rites. (Symbolbild/NAGW)

In Fulda, a remarkable find occurred, which shows both archaeological and historical facets. Bone pieces were recently given in an Ikea bag at city and district archeology. The remains, which probably come from an excavation in Lower Saxony, could represent the remains of a person who lived around 1,500 years ago.

The origin of the bones can be traced back to an excavation in 1965, which took place in a burial ground in the district of Göttingen. A volunteer who took part in this excavation received the skeletal parts as a thank you - a custom at the time. Later this skeletal piece hiked through private hands before it was passed on to a friend of the helper who is a member of the Archaeological Working Group Fulda.

The transport of the remains

This acquaintance presented the bones of the Fulda city and district archaeologist Milena Wingenfeld at the turn of the year. The remains were carefully wrapped in old newspaper from the 1950s and 1960s. Interestingly, the bones are not kept in Vonderau Museum, which belongs to the city and district archeology, but are already on the way to the Göttingen district archeology

The archaeologists in Göttingen look towards the delivery with excitement, since the finds from 1965 have been partly scattered over the years. However, it should be noted that despite more modern examination methods, no new scientific findings on the find of 1965 are to be expected. Nevertheless, this old find could help complete the image of the funeral rites and living conditions of the people at the time.

funeral rites in the historical context

The circumstances of burial at the time of the remains throw a light on the practices of the company at that time. In antiquity and during the migration period, it was common among the Teutons to either burn or bury themselves. With the advent of Christianity, however, the fire burial was prohibited. In the Middle Ages, the burial was strongly shaped by church, with varying practices depending on the state of the deceased.

It is particularly revealing that ordinary people without a coffin were buried on a board in their death leader, while wealthier individuals were buried in a coffin - occasionally also made of stone. The deceased wore relatives, often supported by brotherhoods who took care of the funerals.

The church customs and the social structures of that time did not remain unaffected by ordinances that restricted luxurious graves. Thus, the remains from the excavation in Göttingen should also make a valuable contribution to understanding historical funeral rites.

Scientific awards and new research

The Finda find could also beat the bridge to current issues in archeology. For example, Bruno Vindrola-Padrós received the Study Award of the VGH Foundation for Archeology 2023 for his dissertation. Both awards are endowed with 2,000 euros and illustrate the relevance of archaeological research in Lower Saxony.

The mosaic stones from the past help to form a more comprehensive picture of history. Both the recient tradition of the bones from Fulda and the ongoing study prices show the continuous importance of archeology and historical science.

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