A Roman-era settlement estimated to be roughly 1,600 years old was recently discovered by archaeologists in Delbrück, Germany. The archeological discovery included the remains of at least two buildings and hundreds of ancient artifacts.
According to Fox News, the Roman-era settlement was recently discovered as part of an excavation by the Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe (LWL) at Schafbreite, which is located in Delbrück, Germany.
In a statement obtained by Fox News, the LWL confirmed that hundreds of ancient artifacts were discovered at the Schafbreite location, with most of the artifacts traced back to the fourth and fifth centuries A.D. Fox News reported that archaeologists uncovered two “clearly identifiable” buildings, two wells, two pit houses, a cremation grave, and hundreds of artifacts as part of the excavation.
The LWL stated, “Seven hundred and fifty individual finds were recovered from the ancient cultural layer preserved under a thick ash soil, 600 of which were metal.”
According to Fox News, LWL archaeologists noted that the site of the excavation appears to have been “settled at different times, making it a multi-period settlement site.”
“The finds from various periods also show that the inhabitants had access to Roman material culture,” archaeologists added.
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Fox News reported that Sven Spiong, one of the lead archaeologists for LWL, suggested that the mysterious excavation provides insight into the Migration Period, which took place from 300 to 600 A.D.
Spiong explained, “Sites like these help us better understand how the people of the region lived and worked during the arrival of the Romans and in the following centuries, what interregional contacts and connections they had, and how the settlement structure changed during the Migration Period.”
LWL confirmed that an “isolated cremation grave” was discovered during the excavation and that archaeologists discovered that a person was buried with a spearhead, a broken bone comb, two garment clasps, a fire steel, and an animal head buckle.
“Experts date this buckle to the 4th or 5th century based on its shape,” LWL stated. “It further confirms the settlers’ contact with the Roman cultural sphere, as it belonged to the Roman military belt.”
According to Fox News, while researchers were not able to identify the burial, the archaeological organization suggested that the individual could have been a Germanic mercenary who served in the Roman military.
“[It’s] a special find, as it is the first burial in East Westphalia where parts of a Roman military belt have been detected, previously only known from surface finds in other regions,” the LWL said.
