About  .  Contact  .  Donation located in the Heidenheim district of Germany archaeologists uncovered a rare Alemannic chamber grave dating back to the early 4th century This significant discovery was made by a team from the archaeological firm ArchaeoBW working under the commission of the State Office for Monument Preservation (LAD) in the Stuttgart Regional Council The excavation was initiated as part of a rescue operation in preparation for a new housing development project in the area was constructed as a wooden chamber and contained the skeletal remains of a man approximately 60 years old which dates back to between CE 263 and 342 was characterized by its solitary location a typical feature for graves from this period The archaeologists were able to confirm the age of the deceased and the dating of the grave through radiocarbon analysis of one of the man’s rib bones The bone sample was sent directly from the excavation site to a laboratory in Mannheim several valuable grave goods were discovered The glass cup is believed to have originated from the nearby late Roman fort of Guntia (modern-day Günzburg) The presence of such items suggests that the deceased was a person of some status within the Alemannic society the artifacts were transported to the LAD restoration workshop in Esslingen for further analysis and preservation Two ceramic vessels have already been restored are still being documented by the excavation team The Stuttgart Regional Council has expressed hope that more graves could be discovered in the area to the south of the current excavation site were a confederation of Germanic tribes that emerged on the east bank of the Rhine River First mentioned in CE 213 by the Roman historian Cassius Dio the Alemanni inhabited regions that now encompass southwestern Germany They were known for their distinctive burial practices which often involved interring the deceased with various grave goods as seen in the recent discovery in Gerstetten Stuttgart Regional Council and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()) Learn how to describe the purpose of the image (opens in a new tab) Leave empty if the image is purely decorative State Office for Monument Preservation in the Stuttgart Regional Council/Yvonne MühleisDespite its age the comb still has teeth that are largely intact During preliminary work for a new affordable housing development in Gerstetten archaeologists unexpectedly came across a wooden grave chamber from the fourth century C.E Not only is this burial a rare find connected to the Alemanni people And perhaps the most remarkable item that archaeologists have pulled out of the 1,700-year-old tomb is a comb — which still has all of its teeth State Office for Monument Preservation in the Stuttgart Regional Council/Gizem DakmazThe excavation of the Alemannic grave in Gerstetten in the spring of 2024 According to a statement from the Stuttgart Regional Council the grave was first discovered in the spring of 2024 during a “rescue excavation” in Gerstetten ahead of the construction of a new affordable housing development Though the village center has been “inhabited since late antiquity,” the discovery of the grave still came as a surprise archaeologists found the remains of a 60-year-old man who died circa the fourth century C.E An examination of his ribs put the year of death between 263 and 342 C.E He was buried in a wooden chamber with “rather elaborate construction,” which struck archaeologists as “particularly prominent due to its solitary location” but typical for the Alemanni archaeologists found a number of grave goods The man had been buried with ceramics and glass vessels as well as a small comb State Office for Monument Preservation in the Stuttgart Regional Council/Gizem DakmazArchaeologists found the remains of a 60-year-old man as well as a number of grave goods Another of the grave goods also caught archaeologists’ attention: a “high-quality” glass cup. According to the council statement, it likely came from a nearby Roman fort called Guntia (Günzbug), which makes sense, as the history of the Alemanni is tied closely with that of ancient Rome The Alemanni — whose name roughly means “All Men” or “United Men,” and who later inspired the word for “Germany” in French and other languages Allemagne — were a Germanic tribe that emerged on the eastern side of the Rhine River They first appeared in the historical record in 213 C.E. when the Roman historian Cassius Dio mentioned their entanglements with ancient Rome and with the emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Tataryn/Wikimedia CommonsA map showing the territory of several European kingdoms The emperor “made a campaign against the Alemanni and whenever he saw a spot suitable for habitation, he would order, ‘There let a fort be erected. There let a city be built,’ Cassius Dio wrote “Consequently he came to feel contempt for these people and would not spare even them but accorded treatment befitting the bitterest foes to the very people whom he claimed to have come to help pretending that they were to serve as mercenaries and then at a given signal — by raising aloft his own shield — he caused them all to be surrounded and cut down and he sent horsemen round about and arrested all the others.” “Some of the most distinguished men whom Antoninus slew,” Cassius Dio added “he ordered to be cast out unburied.” Despite this treatment — or perhaps because of it — the Alemanni fought back fiercely against Rome in the two centuries before it fell they posed a serious threat against the Roman Empire the grave found in Gerstetten is a part of this history And archaeologists suspect that there may be more nearby The Alemanni were usually buried in “small groups of five to twelve” and thus “it cannot be ruled out that further graves will be found in the area to the south.” State Office for Monument Preservation in the Stuttgart Regional Council/ArchaeoBWThe Alemannic grave found in Gerstetten may be one of several in the area will add to the rich history of the Alemanni which remains largely shrouded in mystery to this day After reading about the ancient comb discovered in Germany, discover the story of the Picts, the fierce Scottish people who battled with ancient Rome. Then, read about Veleda the German priestess who stood up to the Romans was found in Gerstetten and includes a high-quality glass beaker possibly from a Roman fort now at a local lab for cleaning and restoration Yvonne Mühleis/State Office for the Preservation of Monuments Archaeologists in Germany have uncovered a remarkable 1,700-year-old burial site offering a rare glimpse into life at the edge of the Roman Empire.  This significant discovery, made during excavations in Gerstetten, southwest Germany, has revealed a wealth of artifacts The excavation of this grave has not only uncovered significant artifacts but also raised hopes of finding additional graves in the surrounding area this site promises to contribute further to our understanding of life in the ancient world COMMENTABOUT THE AUTHORSujita Sinha By clicking sign up, you confirm that you accept this site's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Premium Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. likely belonged to Alemanni Germanic tribes that played a role in Rome’s downfall Archaeologists have unearthed the grave of a “barbarian” who died on the frontier of the Roman Empire in the fourth century AD The man, about 60 years old, was buried 1,700 years ago along with valuable goods such as pottery Researchers found the burial during the construction of homes at the village of Gerstetten, 65km east of Stuttgart in Germany The elaborately built grave was enclosed in a wooden chamber and was situated at a prominent The Romans called Germanic tribal people “barbarians” literally meaning “people who speak differently” a term they also used for non-Roman people living outside the empire’s territories Archaeologists said the man likely belonged to the Alemanni Germanic tribes that lived on the Upper Rhine river. Germanic barbarians invaded the Western Roman Empire to the south towards the end of the fifth century, causing its downfall. The period from the 4th to 8th centuries was a time of major socioeconomic and cultural transformation in Europe. But not much is known about it in the absence of reliable written accounts. Archaeological studies of barbarian cemeteries provide valuable insights into this time, called the Migration Period, which laid the foundation of modern European society, but few early German graves have previously been discovered. Most of the graves uncovered so far are in the southwestern German state of Baden-Württemberg bordering France and Switzerland. Archeologists said finding more graves would shed further light on this epoch of history. “The excavation on Bismarckstraße, where the burial was discovered, was completed a week after the tomb was discovered at the beginning of May,” the Stuttgart Regional Council said in a statement. Two ceramic vessels found at the site have been restored by the State Office for Monument Preservation at the Stuttgart Regional Council. A rib from the grave, sampled for carbon dating, confirmed that he died between 263 and 342 AD. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Frühalamannisches Kammergrab in Gerstetten geborgen (Landkreis Heidenheim) Landesamt für Denkmalpflege im Regierungspräsidium Stuttgart/Bild: ArchaeoBWLandesamt für Denkmalpflege im Regierungspräsidium Stuttgart/Bild: Gizem DakmazLandesamt für Denkmalpflege im Regierungspräsidium Stuttgart/Bild: Gizem DakmazLandesamt für Denkmalpflege im Regierungspräsidium Stuttgart/Bild: Yvonne MühleisLandesamt für Denkmalpflege im Regierungspräsidium Stuttgart/Bild: Yvonne MühleisUnerwartet ist im Frühjahr in Gerstetten ein frühalamannisches Körpergrab geborgen worden Im Auftrag des Landesamts für Denkmalpflege (LAD) im Regierungspräsidium Stuttgart führte die archäologische Fachfirma ArchaeoBW eine Rettungsgrabung im Dorfkern durch Durch eine Innenentwicklungsmaßnahme der Gemeinde und eines kommunalen Wohnungsbauunternehmens sollen mehrere Wohngebäude unter anderem mit bezahlbarem Mietwohnraum Mitten im Siedlungsareal fanden die Archäologinnen und Archäologen die Bestattung eines circa 60-jährigen Mannes Jahrhunderts an dieser Stelle begraben wurde wies das Grab eine recht aufwändige Konstruktion auf und war – typisch für diesen Zeithorizont – auch durch die solitäre Lage besonders herausgestellt Von den Beigaben waren Keramik- und Glasgefäße sowie ein kleiner Kamm erhalten Ein hochwertiger Glasbecher findet einen Vergleich im nahegelegenen spätrömischen Kastell von Guntia (Günzbug) Die anderen Beigaben weisen deutliche Parallelen zu Funden aus dem Mittelelbe-Saale-Gebiet auf Frühalamannische Gräber gibt es nur sehr wenige in Baden-Württemberg – meist handelt es sich um kleine Grabgruppen von fünf bis zwölf Gräbern dass in der im Süden benachbarten Fläche noch weitere Gräber zu Tage kommen – dieses Areal ist noch nicht untersucht konnte eine Woche nachdem das Grab entdeckt worden war Anfang Mai abgeschlossen werden Die Funde wurden in die Restaurierungswerkstatt des LAD nach Esslingen gebracht Die beiden Keramikgefäße konnten bereits restauriert werden Die weiteren Funde der Grabung sowie die menschlichen Knochen sind noch zur Dokumentation bei der Grabungsfirma Eine Rippe des Mannes wurde bereits für eine Radiokarbondatierung beprobt und direkt von der Grabung aus ins Labor nach Mannheim geschickt: Das Ergebnis bestätigt die typologische Datierung der Beigaben: Der Mann muss zwischen den Jahren 263 und 342 nach Christus verstorben sein Die archäologischen Untersuchungen des Areals sollen Ende des Jahres fortgeführt werden 12 MB); Quelle: Landesamt für Denkmalpflege im Regierungspräsidium Stuttgart/Bild: ArchaeoBW Um unseren Internetauftritt für Sie optimal gestalten und verbessern zu können, verwenden wir Cookies. Weitere Informationen zu Cookies erhalten Sie in unserer Datenschutzerklärung Diese Cookies werden für eine reibungslose Funktion unserer Website benötigt Social-Media-Elemente von Facebook und Google werden auf der gesamten Webseite aktiviert The grave goods included vessels made from pottery and glass One high-quality glass beaker may have been obtained from a nearby Roman fort Archaeologists think the man was buried in the first half of the fourth century Archaeologists in Germany have discovered the 1,700-year-old burial of a "barbarian" who lived on the edge of the Roman Empire and was given valuable grave goods The grave was elaborately built and enclosed by a wooden chamber and it was situated in a solitary but prominent location Related: Attila the Hun raided Rome due to starvation, not bloodlust, study suggests one glass beaker was of particularly high quality and may have been obtained from the nearby Roman fort at Guntia while distinctive features of the other burial objects suggested they were from further north in the Elbe-Saale region of what’s now central Germany The northern limit of the Roman Empire in this region — known as the "Upper Germanic Limes" — ran just to the north of Gerstetten; beyond it were the lands known as "Magna Germania" or Greater Germania The Roman Limes was heavily guarded by legionaries stationed at forts along the frontier but Germanic ways of life — and Germanic burials — were practiced outside the forts Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox Archaeologists say the man in the grave was from a Germanic tribe that belonged to the Alemanni federation and was aged about 60 when he died.(Image credit: Gizem Dakmaz/State Office for the Preservation of Monuments Stuttgart Regional Council)The grave was found in May during archaeological excavations ahead of a housing development in the village of Gerstetten about 40 miles east of Stuttgart.(Image credit: Gizem Dakmaz/State Office for the Preservation of Monuments Stuttgart Regional Council)Archaeologists say it is rare to find Germanic graves from this time in this region and there are indications that two more graves may be nearby.(Image credit: ArchaeoBW/State Office for the Preservation of Monuments Stuttgart Regional Council)Restoration workThe man buried at Gerstetten was likely one of the Alemanni a federation of Germanic tribes whose people lived near the Upper Rhine Valley Alemanni graves from this time are rare in the region They were usually found in groups of between five and 12 individuals and archaeologists think two more graves could yet be found in an adjacent area —Pottery, swords and jewelry: Rich Stone Age and early medieval graves found in Germany —Germanic lord buried with a harem of 6? Not quite, but the real story is fascinating. —1,700-year-old Roman fort discovered in Germany was built to keep out barbarians The artifacts from the Germanic grave at Gerstetten have been taken to a restoration workshop in the nearby town of Esslingen The human bones are still at the site so they can be documented by the archaeologists, but one of the dead man's ribs has already been sampled for radiocarbon dating at a laboratory in the city of Mannheim. The results show the man was buried between A.D. 263 and 342, according to the statement. Live Science ContributorTom Metcalfe is a freelance journalist and regular Live Science contributor who is based in London in the United Kingdom 1,800-year-old warhorse cemetery held remains of a beloved horse — and a man considered an 'outsider' to Roman society Pompeii quiz: How much do you know about the Roman town destroyed by Mount Vesuvius Ancient jawbone dredged off Taiwan seafloor belongs to mysterious Denisovan