- Archaeologists found a medieval tunnel inside a much older burial site in Germany
- The burial site dates back to the fourth millennium BC and relates to Baalberge culture
- A medieval underground tunnel system called Erdstall was built in loess soil 5,000 years later
Archaeologists in Germany have uncovered a hidden tunnel from the Middle Ages inside a much older burial site. The surprising discovery shows how the same land was used by people thousands of years apart. The findings were shared in a January 29 press release by the State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology of Saxony-Anhalt, reported Newsweek.
The tunnel was discovered in a Middle Neolithic burial site near Rheinstadt in Germany. Officials believe the site was used by communities of the Baalberge culture in the fourth millennium BC.
The significant discovery was made during excavations late last year, prior to the installation of wind turbines.
Tunnel Constructed Centuries Later
About 5,000 years after the burial site's initial use, an underground tunnel system, known as an Erdstall, was constructed in the site's loess soil. Loess is a hardened silt deposited by wind.
According to experts, this Erdstall dates back to the late Middle Ages. Officials stated that the tunnel's true purpose remains unclear.
Mistaken For A Grave
A trapezoidal trench was also found in the area, along with several dilapidated graves dating back to the Late Neolithic period (third millennium BC).
Archaeologists initially believed a stone slab at the northern end of the pit to be a grave. However, detailed investigation revealed that it was actually the entrance to an underground tunnel from the Middle Ages.
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