Küchelmann, Hans Christian / Heinrich, Dirk / Kelm, Rüdiger / Reichstein, Hans (2024): Rind, Pferd und Auerochse. Tiergräber und weitere Tierknochenfunde aus der frühgeschichtlichen Siedlung am Mühlenberg in Bremen-Rekum. – Bremer Archäologische Blätter Neue Folge 9, 216-241
[Cattle, Horse and Aurochs. Animal Graves and further Animal Bone Finds from the prehistoric Settlement at the Mühlenberg in Bremen-Rekum]
Abstract
Over 40 years ago, in the years 1980-1983, a settlement inhabited from the Roman Iron Age to early medieval times was excavated in Rekum, the northernmost district of Bremen. Despite the suboptimal conditions of a rescue excavation, the site yielded archaeological features and finds, which are still unique for Bremen and the north-west German region. Several animal burials were discovered at the northern fringe of the settlement, still a rare situation for northern Germany. The animal bones were analysed by Hans Reichstein and Dirk Heinrich in 1983 and 1996, but the results were never published. Further, the archaeological and archaeozoological data were not aligned, resulting in numerous unresolved questions about the find situation and interpretation of the archaeozoological features and finds. This led to inconsistencies in the information about the animal burials and animal bones in the numerous archaeological publications published about the site between 1981 and 2017.
In this article, the results of the archaeozoological investigations of 1983 and 1996 are published with minor modifications. Subsequently, the reception of the animal bones in the publications that have appeared to date is recapitulated and corrected. Finally, in collaboration with the archaeologists, a re-evaluation of the finds and features was carried out on the basis of the excavation documentation and a renewed assessment of the archived archaeozoological finds, which could now clarify the majority of the remaining questions, including the number and species identification of the animal burials.
Küchelmann, Hans Christian / Heinrich, Dirk / Kelm, Rüdiger / Reichstein, Hans (2024): Rind, Pferd und Auerochse. Tiergräber und weitere Tierknochenfunde aus der frühgeschichtlichen Siedlung am Mühlenberg in Bremen-Rekum. – Bremer Archäologische Blätter Neue Folge 9, 216-241
[Cattle, Horse and Aurochs. Animal Graves and further Animal Bone Finds from the prehistoric Settlement at the Mühlenberg in Bremen-Rekum]
Abstract
Over 40 years ago, in the years 1980-1983, a settlement inhabited from the Roman Iron Age to early medieval times was excavated in Rekum, the northernmost district of Bremen. Despite the suboptimal conditions of a rescue excavation, the site yielded archaeological features and finds, which are still unique for Bremen and the north-west German region. Several animal burials were discovered at the northern fringe of the settlement, still a rare situation for northern Germany. The animal bones were analysed by Hans Reichstein and Dirk Heinrich in 1983 and 1996, but the results were never published. Further, the archaeological and archaeozoological data were not aligned, resulting in numerous unresolved questions about the find situation and interpretation of the archaeozoological features and finds. This led to inconsistencies in the information about the animal burials and animal bones in the numerous archaeological publications published about the site between 1981 and 2017.
In this article, the results of the archaeozoological investigations of 1983 and 1996 are published with minor modifications. Subsequently, the reception of the animal bones in the publications that have appeared to date is recapitulated and corrected. Finally, in collaboration with the archaeologists, a re-evaluation of the finds and features was carried out on the basis of the excavation documentation and a renewed assessment of the archived archaeozoological finds, which could now clarify the majority of the remaining questions, including the number and species identification of the animal burials.