Archaeologists working in central Germany have uncovered a rare medieval underground passageway cut into a much older prehistoric enclosure.
The discovery was made near Reinstedt in the state of Saxony-Anhalt during excavations carried out ahead of construction on a new wind turbine. What began as routine archaeological work on a low hill east of the village—known locally as the Dornberg—soon revealed a site used repeatedly over thousands of years.
The main feature identified at Dornberg is a trapezoidal ditch enclosure dating to the Middle Neolithic, built by the Baalberge culture in the 4th millennium BC.
several poorly preserved crouched burials, probably from the Late Neolithic (3rd millennium BC)
traces of a possible Bronze Age burial mound (2nd millennium BC)
In other words, this was already an important funerary and ceremonial landscape long before the Middle Ages.
A medieval tunnel cut through the Neolithic ditch
The most surprising find came in the southern part of the trapezoidal ditch, where excavators noticed a clearly defined, long-oval pit—about two metres long and up to 75 cm wide—cutting almost at a right angle across the prehistoric ditch.
At first, the presence of a large stone slab made it look like a grave. But as the team dug deeper, it became clear the feature did not end like a burial pit. Instead, the fill layers sloped downwards and continued further into the ground, descending into the pale, dense loess (a firm, fine soil that can hold its shape when dug).
The fill contained Late Medieval pottery, many stones, and even small voids surviving in the upper part—signs that this was not a simple cut feature.
The team recognised it as an Erdstall: a man-made underground tunnel system, sometimes with small chamber-like expansions. Archaeologists have long debated what erdstalls were for. The main ideas range from hiding places to spaces connected with ritual activity.
As the infill was removed in layers, a narrow passage opened up, curving towards the northwest. Inside, archaeologists found:
a horseshoe
a fox skeleton
many bones from small mammals
a charcoal layer at the lowest level
The charcoal is especially interesting. The excavators note that the soil beneath it was not reddened (which can happen after sustained heat). Instead, there was only a hardening of the ground—suggesting a brief fire, not a long-burning one.
The passage itself was just under one metre to about 1.25 metres high, and 50–70 cm wide. Parts of it had a pointed, gable-like roof shape cut into the loess. At the narrowest point near the entrance, excavators found larger stones stacked together, which may indicate the entrance was deliberately blocked at some point. They also recorded a step in the loess at the entrance area, and a niche cut into the wall.
Why dig a medieval erdstall into an ancient monument?
The team raises an obvious question: why would someone in the Late Middle Ages choose to dig an underground hideout into a Neolithic ditch monument?
One practical answer is visibility. If the Neolithic trapezoidal enclosure was still recognisable above ground, it could have served as a reliable landmark—making the entrance easier to find again.
But there is another possibility: the place may have been avoided. A prehistoric burial site could have been seen as a “pagan grave” and treated with caution by local people. If so, that social unease might have made it an ideal spot for a medieval hiding place—somewhere less likely to be disturbed.
For now, the Reinstedt erdstall adds a fresh example to the wider mystery of these medieval underground spaces—and it does so in a striking setting, where medieval activity cuts directly into a much older ritual landscape.
Archaeologists working in central Germany have uncovered a rare medieval underground passageway cut into a much older prehistoric enclosure.
The discovery was made near Reinstedt in the state of Saxony-Anhalt during excavations carried out ahead of construction on a new wind turbine. What began as routine archaeological work on a low hill east of the village—known locally as the Dornberg—soon revealed a site used repeatedly over thousands of years.
The main feature identified at Dornberg is a trapezoidal ditch enclosure dating to the Middle Neolithic, built by the Baalberge culture in the 4th millennium BC.
Alongside this enclosure, the team from the State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt also recorded:
In other words, this was already an important funerary and ceremonial landscape long before the Middle Ages.
A medieval tunnel cut through the Neolithic ditch
The most surprising find came in the southern part of the trapezoidal ditch, where excavators noticed a clearly defined, long-oval pit—about two metres long and up to 75 cm wide—cutting almost at a right angle across the prehistoric ditch.
At first, the presence of a large stone slab made it look like a grave. But as the team dug deeper, it became clear the feature did not end like a burial pit. Instead, the fill layers sloped downwards and continued further into the ground, descending into the pale, dense loess (a firm, fine soil that can hold its shape when dug).
The fill contained Late Medieval pottery, many stones, and even small voids surviving in the upper part—signs that this was not a simple cut feature.
The team recognised it as an Erdstall: a man-made underground tunnel system, sometimes with small chamber-like expansions. Archaeologists have long debated what erdstalls were for. The main ideas range from hiding places to spaces connected with ritual activity.
What was inside the passage?
As the infill was removed in layers, a narrow passage opened up, curving towards the northwest. Inside, archaeologists found:
The charcoal is especially interesting. The excavators note that the soil beneath it was not reddened (which can happen after sustained heat). Instead, there was only a hardening of the ground—suggesting a brief fire, not a long-burning one.
The passage itself was just under one metre to about 1.25 metres high, and 50–70 cm wide. Parts of it had a pointed, gable-like roof shape cut into the loess. At the narrowest point near the entrance, excavators found larger stones stacked together, which may indicate the entrance was deliberately blocked at some point. They also recorded a step in the loess at the entrance area, and a niche cut into the wall.
Why dig a medieval erdstall into an ancient monument?
The team raises an obvious question: why would someone in the Late Middle Ages choose to dig an underground hideout into a Neolithic ditch monument?
One practical answer is visibility. If the Neolithic trapezoidal enclosure was still recognisable above ground, it could have served as a reliable landmark—making the entrance easier to find again.
But there is another possibility: the place may have been avoided. A prehistoric burial site could have been seen as a “pagan grave” and treated with caution by local people. If so, that social unease might have made it an ideal spot for a medieval hiding place—somewhere less likely to be disturbed.
For now, the Reinstedt erdstall adds a fresh example to the wider mystery of these medieval underground spaces—and it does so in a striking setting, where medieval activity cuts directly into a much older ritual landscape.
Top Image: Fully excavated passage of the Erdstall with a pointed gable roof and a small niche in the wall. Passage height approximately one metre, width 50 to 70 centimetres. © State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt, Ulf Petzschmann.
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