Archaeologists working at Naumburg Cathedral in eastern Germany have uncovered a small medieval cemetery containing 13 graves, believed to date from the 11th century. The elaborate construction of the graves and their location between the cathedral and a nearby chapel indicate that the people buried there belonged to the contemporary elite.
The discovery was made during large-scale archaeological investigations connected with the redevelopment of Naumburg Cathedral Square. Excavations have been taking place around the cathedral since the spring of 2026.
While extensive investigations carried out in the 1960s provided archaeologists with a good understanding of the cathedral’s architectural history, the area outside the building has remained largely unexplored.
An 11th-century cemetery
Naumburg Cathedral – photo by Krzysztof Golik / Wikimedia Commons
The first cathedral at Naumburg was constructed following the transfer of the episcopal seat from Zeitz to Naumburg and was probably largely completed during the 1040s. The episcopal seat was established in the outer bailey of the “new castle” of the Ekkehardine margraves.
Beginning around 1210, this first cathedral was gradually replaced by the substantially larger building standing today. The crypt of the earlier cathedral was incorporated into the Late Romanesque structure. South of its eastern choir stood the Chapel of St Nicholas, which had been built in the 11th century. In the 15th century, it was built over by the Chapel of the Three Kings, which still survives.
It was between the 11th-century cathedral and the Chapel of St Nicholas that archaeologists discovered the small cemetery.
Almost all of the 13 graves have elaborate forms of construction. Five individuals were buried in mortared stone-lined graves, with their sides mostly made from very large stone slabs joined with lime mortar. Before the grave pits were filled in, these stone structures were covered with wood.
Two other individuals were also placed in stone-lined graves, although the upright slabs used in these cases were not mortared together. Other graves had stone slabs positioned at the head and foot of the grave pits.
The cemetery contained men, women and adolescents, as well as an infant approximately one year old. The child was found as a later burial in one of the mortared stone-lined graves, and archaeologists have identified indications of a close relationship between the infant and the individual buried underneath.
Only a few of the graves overlap, and where they do, the overlap occurs around their edges. According to the archaeologists, this suggests that the graves were marked above ground and that the cemetery was used for a relatively short period.
Dating the cemetery more precisely is difficult because medieval burials generally contain few grave goods. For now, archaeologists are relying on the characteristic construction of the graves and the fact that the cemetery was disturbed by the later construction of the Late Romanesque cathedral.
Based on current evidence, all of the burials were probably made during the 11th century. Further scientific examination of the skeletons is expected to allow researchers to make more detailed assessments.
The people buried between the cathedral and the Chapel of St Nicholas may have belonged to a family group, perhaps an extended family. Planned DNA analysis of the skeletons by the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig could provide further information about their relationships.
The State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt considers it certain that the people buried here belonged to the contemporary elite. This conclusion is based not only on the elaborate construction of the graves, but especially on the cemetery’s location between two sacred buildings and directly in front of the cathedral’s main entrance. The archaeologists note that such locations were often used for the graves of church founders.
The burials were carefully documented before the skeletons were removed for comprehensive anthropological and scientific analysis. The results will contribute to the State Office’s ongoing research into early medieval elites using modern scientific approaches.
Archaeologists working at Naumburg Cathedral in eastern Germany have uncovered a small medieval cemetery containing 13 graves, believed to date from the 11th century. The elaborate construction of the graves and their location between the cathedral and a nearby chapel indicate that the people buried there belonged to the contemporary elite.
The discovery was made during large-scale archaeological investigations connected with the redevelopment of Naumburg Cathedral Square. Excavations have been taking place around the cathedral since the spring of 2026.
While extensive investigations carried out in the 1960s provided archaeologists with a good understanding of the cathedral’s architectural history, the area outside the building has remained largely unexplored.
An 11th-century cemetery
The first cathedral at Naumburg was constructed following the transfer of the episcopal seat from Zeitz to Naumburg and was probably largely completed during the 1040s. The episcopal seat was established in the outer bailey of the “new castle” of the Ekkehardine margraves.
Beginning around 1210, this first cathedral was gradually replaced by the substantially larger building standing today. The crypt of the earlier cathedral was incorporated into the Late Romanesque structure. South of its eastern choir stood the Chapel of St Nicholas, which had been built in the 11th century. In the 15th century, it was built over by the Chapel of the Three Kings, which still survives.
It was between the 11th-century cathedral and the Chapel of St Nicholas that archaeologists discovered the small cemetery.
Almost all of the 13 graves have elaborate forms of construction. Five individuals were buried in mortared stone-lined graves, with their sides mostly made from very large stone slabs joined with lime mortar. Before the grave pits were filled in, these stone structures were covered with wood.
Two other individuals were also placed in stone-lined graves, although the upright slabs used in these cases were not mortared together. Other graves had stone slabs positioned at the head and foot of the grave pits.
The cemetery contained men, women and adolescents, as well as an infant approximately one year old. The child was found as a later burial in one of the mortared stone-lined graves, and archaeologists have identified indications of a close relationship between the infant and the individual buried underneath.
Only a few of the graves overlap, and where they do, the overlap occurs around their edges. According to the archaeologists, this suggests that the graves were marked above ground and that the cemetery was used for a relatively short period.
The final resting place of an elite
Dating the cemetery more precisely is difficult because medieval burials generally contain few grave goods. For now, archaeologists are relying on the characteristic construction of the graves and the fact that the cemetery was disturbed by the later construction of the Late Romanesque cathedral.
Based on current evidence, all of the burials were probably made during the 11th century. Further scientific examination of the skeletons is expected to allow researchers to make more detailed assessments.
The people buried between the cathedral and the Chapel of St Nicholas may have belonged to a family group, perhaps an extended family. Planned DNA analysis of the skeletons by the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig could provide further information about their relationships.
The State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt considers it certain that the people buried here belonged to the contemporary elite. This conclusion is based not only on the elaborate construction of the graves, but especially on the cemetery’s location between two sacred buildings and directly in front of the cathedral’s main entrance. The archaeologists note that such locations were often used for the graves of church founders.
The burials were carefully documented before the skeletons were removed for comprehensive anthropological and scientific analysis. The results will contribute to the State Office’s ongoing research into early medieval elites using modern scientific approaches.
Top Image: The 13 burials between Naumburg Cathedral and the Chapel of St Nicholas. © Maurizio Paul.
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