Status: 07.01.2024, 10:14 a.m.
By: Kilian Bäuml, Maximilian Hertel
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The storm surge of 2023 left more than just damage on the Baltic Sea coast, it also led to a millennia-old find.
Kassel – The Baltic Sea coast of Schleswig-Holstein was hit hard by the record storm surge of 20 and 21 October 2023, causing millions of euros in damage. Surprisingly, however, the flood also brought to light something that was thought to have been lost long ago. As the Heimat- und Kulturverein Dahme e.V. explains in a statement on November 13, 2023, a grave dating back to the Farmer's Stone Age was uncovered during the undermining of a path from Kellenhusen to Dahme. Although the existence of the tomb was known, its exact location had been forgotten over the decades.
It is grave 281: "The grave with the number 281 in the Sprockhoff catalogue of megalithic graves was considered 'disappeared' for decades. It was only the storm surge of October 20 that uncovered it. It should be preserved and protected." But the stones, which can be up to 1.60 metres high, hide more than just a grave. About 5,000 to 6,000 years ago, they were "an expression of the culture and ideology of the Peasant Stone Age".
After storm surge, rare find on the Baltic Sea: places of worship from the Neolithic Age
The Lübecker Nachrichten also reported on the discovery of the "thick boulders". These are places of worship from the Neolithic period, also known as "megalithic tombs" or "megalithic tombs". Dr. Jürgen Möller, chairman of the Heimat- und Kulturverein Dahme e.V., explained in an interview with the newspaper: "It was teeming with them here in the north." Unfortunately, many of the stones were used in the 19th century for construction projects or for coastal stabilization. Dr. Möller calls for the protection and preservation of this historical testimony, as it offers insights into the culture and ideology of the time.
The megalithic grave with the designation "Megalithic Grave Lancken-Granitz No. 2" near the Baltic Sea coast. © IMAGO / CHROME ORANGE
Finds from the Neolithic Age on the Baltic Sea – graves can be found all along the coast
The megalithic tombs are remnants of the Neolithic Age and bear witness to the Neolithic Revolution, a turning point in which society changed from hunter-gatherers to farmers, the amateur archaeologist told the newspaper. Whether the rediscovered Neolithic grave will actually be preserved is uncertain. From an archaeological point of view, the value is rather low, as other tombs already exist and have been researched along the Baltic Sea coast. According to the tourism website, some of them are treffpunkt-ostsee.de located on Rügen or in the Northwest Mecklenburg region, for example.
| Megalithic tombs along the Baltic Sea coast | Place |
|---|---|
| Bronze Age grave at the bacon bush | Göhren (Rügen) |
| Megalithic grave Goldbusch Altensien | Sellin (Rügen) |
| Megalithic tombs Mankmoos | Warin (Northwest Mecklenburg) |
| Stone Age megalithic grave Everstorfer Forst | Plüschow (Northwest Mecklenburg) |
| Megalithic grave / passage grave in a long bed | Plüschow (Northwest Mecklenburg) |
The megalithic tombs were built in prehistoric times as sacred places. However, according to the nature magazine Killikus, the people of later centuries had their own explanations for the formation of the mystical stone formations: "The huge tombs from the late Stone Age led the people of Christendom to believe that giants probably inhabited the earth 'in ancient times'. For this reason, many old legends and fairy tales tell of the very giants who inhabit the forests and are buried there. That's how the term "megalithic grave" came about."
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Discovery after storm surge: Not the first spectacular discovery on the Baltic Sea
On the Baltic Sea coast, spectacular finds are made again and again. In September 2023, for example, the wreck of the German freighter "Kronos", which presumably sank in 1923, was discovered during routine work. But even older archaeological treasures lie dormant at the bottom of the sea. An initially supposed piece of cargo probably caused the biggest stir in 2023, because it turned out to be Europe's oldest cannon.
But there have also been rare finds in other parts of Germany recently, for example a prehistoric horse was probably unearthed in the Messel pit.
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