• About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Donation
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
Archaeology News
  • Home
  • News
    • Archaeology
    • Anthropology
    • Paleontology
  • Academics
    • Books
    • Conferences
    • Universities
  • Articles
  • VR Tours
  • Quiz & Game
  • Download
  • Encyclopedia
  • Forum
Archaeology News
No Result
View All Result
Home News Anthropology

4,200-year-old “zombie grave” unearthed in Germany reveals Bronze Age superstitions

by Dario Radley
April 29, 2024

Archaeologists conducting excavations near Oppin, Germany, have uncovered an ancient grave dating back approximately 4,200 years. The burial site, labeled a “zombie grave” by experts, was found during excavations preceding the expansion of the Südostlink direct current line, a project spanning 93 miles through Saxony-Anhalt, scheduled for archaeological examination until 2025.

4,200-year-old “zombie grave” unearthed in Germany reveals Bronze Age superstitions
4,200-year-old “zombie grave.” Credit: State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt, Anja Lochner-Rechta

The grave, discovered by archaeologists from the State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt, contains the remains of a man believed to have been between 40 and 60 years old at the time of his death. He belonged to the Bell Beaker culture, a Bronze Age group that emerged around 2800 BCE and dispersed across Western Europe and parts of northwestern Africa.

The burial, positioned on its left side with legs bent and facing east, featured a significant anomaly: a large stone placed atop the lower half of the man’s body. This stone, approximately three feet long, 20 inches wide, and four inches high, served as a preventive measure against the deceased returning as a revenant, an animated corpse feared in various mythologies and folklore across Europe.

Susanne Friederich, project manager, and archaeologist, explained, “We know that even in the Stone Age, people were afraid of revenants. Back then, people believed that dead people sometimes tried to free themselves from their graves.”

4,200-year-old “zombie grave” unearthed in Germany reveals Bronze Age superstitions
Credit: State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt, Anja Lochner-Rechta

The presence of such a burial custom among the Bell Beaker culture is unusual, indicating a deep-rooted fear of the dead among Bronze Age Europeans. Similar practices have been documented in various historical periods, including Roman literature, where dismemberment of the body was employed to prevent resurrection. Similarly, a recent discovery in Italy unearthed a Roman cemetery containing the remains of a child with a block in their jaw, reflecting the widespread fear of revenants during that era.

RelatedStories

4,500-year-old clay baby rattles in Syria reveal mass production and parenting in the Bronze Age

4,500-year-old clay baby rattles in Syria reveal mass production and parenting in the Bronze Age

May 29, 2025
4,000-year-old cemeteries and rock art reveal forgotten ritual landscape of Morocco’s Tangier Peninsula

4,000-year-old cemeteries and rock art reveal forgotten ritual landscape of Morocco’s Tangier Peninsula

May 14, 2025

Recent excavations in the Oppin region have unveiled another possible revenant burial from the 2nd or 3rd century, marked by the placement of three large stones on the individual’s legs. The presence of bronze fibula in this grave suggests the individual was not impoverished. Additionally, nearby discoveries, including the skeletal remains of a woman without any measures against revenants, and the outline of a house, suggest a potential connection between these individuals and their living environment.

As archaeologists continue their work, they convey skeletal remains to laboratories for further analysis.


Stay updated with us! Follow us on Google News, Flipboard, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Twitter, and Linkedin, and join our WhatsApp and Telegram channels for the latest in archaeology, all directly on your favorite platforms!
ShareTweetShareShareSend

You May Also Like...

Oldest whale bone tools discovered in Europe reveal Stone Age humans used marine resources 20,000 years ago
Archaeology

Oldest whale bone tools discovered in Europe reveal Stone Age humans used marine resources 20,000 years ago

May 31, 2025
Roman burial of infant twins in Croatia linked to lead poisoning
Anthropology

Roman burial of infant twins in Croatia linked to lead poisoning

May 31, 2025
18th-century gold mourning ring unearthed in Norfolk field by detectorist
Archaeology

18th-century gold mourning ring unearthed in Norfolk field by detectorist

May 30, 2025
Three ancient Egyptian tombs unearthed near Luxor reveal secrets of New Kingdom elite
Archaeology

Three ancient Egyptian tombs unearthed near Luxor reveal secrets of New Kingdom elite

May 30, 2025
43,000-year-old Neanderthal fingerprint discovered on stone is the world's oldest
Archaeology

43,000-year-old Neanderthal fingerprint discovered on stone is the world’s oldest

May 30, 2025
4,500-year-old clay baby rattles in Syria reveal mass production and parenting in the Bronze Age
Archaeology

4,500-year-old clay baby rattles in Syria reveal mass production and parenting in the Bronze Age

May 29, 2025

Follow us


Instagram
247K

Facebook
105K

Threads
42K

LinkedIn
12K

Twitter
6K

YouTube
1K
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Viking age DNA reveals 9,000-year-old HIV-resistant gene originating near the Black Sea

Viking age DNA reveals 9,000-year-old HIV-resistant gene originating near the Black Sea

May 18, 2025
Ancient Chinese star chart dated to 2,300 years ago may be the oldest ever, challenging astronomy history

Ancient Chinese star chart dated to 2,300 years ago may be the oldest ever, challenging astronomy history

May 17, 2025
Secrets of the mysterious Gobi wall revealed: archaeologists uncover imperial purpose behind 200-mile structure

Secrets of the mysterious Gobi wall revealed: archaeologists uncover imperial purpose behind 200-mile structure

May 28, 2025
Silver amulet unearthed in Frankfurt grave Is the oldest evidence of Christianity north of the Alps

Silver amulet unearthed in Frankfurt grave Is the oldest evidence of Christianity north of the Alps

December 15, 2024
Stunning 1,600-year-old Byzantine mosaic unveiled in the Negev Desert of Israel

Stunning 1,600-year-old Byzantine mosaic unveiled in the Negev Desert of Israel

May 27, 2025
$1 million prize offered to decipher 5,300-year-old Indus Valley script

$1 million prize offered to decipher 5,300-year-old Indus Valley script

Oldest ever genetic data from a human relative found in 2-million-year-old fossilized teeth

Oldest ever genetic data from a human relative found in 2-million-year-old fossilized teeth

A 21-year-old student successfully deciphered the first word from the Herculaneum scrolls, charred during Mount Vesuvius' eruption

A 21-year-old student successfully deciphered the first word from the Herculaneum scrolls, charred during Mount Vesuvius’ eruption

Oldest US firearm discovered in Arizona: a 500-year-old relic of Coronado's expedition

Oldest US firearm discovered in Arizona: a 500-year-old relic of Coronado’s expedition

New evidence reveals the source of mercury in the mausoleum of the first Qin emperor

New evidence reveals the source of mercury in the mausoleum of the first Qin emperor

Oldest whale bone tools discovered in Europe reveal Stone Age humans used marine resources 20,000 years ago

Oldest whale bone tools discovered in Europe reveal Stone Age humans used marine resources 20,000 years ago

May 31, 2025
Roman burial of infant twins in Croatia linked to lead poisoning

Roman burial of infant twins in Croatia linked to lead poisoning

May 31, 2025
18th-century gold mourning ring unearthed in Norfolk field by detectorist

18th-century gold mourning ring unearthed in Norfolk field by detectorist

May 30, 2025
Three ancient Egyptian tombs unearthed near Luxor reveal secrets of New Kingdom elite

Three ancient Egyptian tombs unearthed near Luxor reveal secrets of New Kingdom elite

May 30, 2025
43,000-year-old Neanderthal fingerprint discovered on stone is the world's oldest

43,000-year-old Neanderthal fingerprint discovered on stone is the world’s oldest

May 30, 2025

Archaeology News online magazine

Archaeology News is an international online magazine that covers all aspects of archaeology.











Categories

  • Academics
    • Books
    • Conferences
    • Universities
  • Articles
  • Download
  • Game
  • News
    • Anthropology
    • Archaeology
    • Paleontology
  • Quiz
  • Tours

Subscribe to our newsletter

© 2024 - Archaeology News Online Magazine. All Rights Reserved.

  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Donation
  • Contact

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

  • Home
  • News
    • Archaeology
    • Anthropology
    • Paleontology
  • Academics
    • Books
    • Conferences
    • Universities
  • Articles
  • VR Tours
  • Quiz & Game
  • Download
  • Encyclopedia
  • Forum

About  .  Contact  .  Donation

© 2024 - Archaeology News Online Magazine. All Rights Reserved

We use cookies to improve your experience and enable functionality and security of this site. Further detail is available in our Privacy Policy. By accepting all cookies, you consent to our use of cookies and use of data.