Danish-German archaeological research team has resumed the excavations at Grabow in northern Germany. Here, they examine one of the oldest known workshops for amber art in Europe – a place where people around 14,000 years ago shaped and processed amber into figures and pendants that probably had symbolic significance.

Behind the project are researchers from Aarhus University and the Lower Saxony Heritage Office in Hanover, who are using new methods to shed light on the way of life, landscape and artistic activity at the end of the Ice Age.

"Grabow is a site from the end of the Ice Age, which has been overlooked for many years, even though it has enormous potential," says Felix Riede, professor of prehistoric archaeology at Aarhus University. "Here, people didn't just go hunting and live their everyday lives – they also carved figures and made pendants out of amber, which were probably important status symbols."

Often finds in the area have been disturbed by ploughing, but in a low-lying area at Grabow, undisturbed layers of finds have been discovered. This gives researchers better opportunities to examine both tools and surroundings in their original context.

"The Late Ice Age is a phase of dramatic climate change, and the sites provide important information for research into natural climate change 14,000 years ago," explains project coordinator Thomas Terberger and elaborates:

"In addition to searching for new artifacts, the team will also take soil samples to reconstruct the landscape, diet, and daily life of Late Glacial people using the latest methods."

The two researchers agree that earlier finds from the area play a key role in understanding the earliest art in the Nordic countries, as they have made it possible to date Danish amber figures to the Late Ice Age. Amber was probably already an important material used to express identity, belonging and social ties as early as 14,000 years ago.

12 students from Aarhus University and a number of employees from the Landesmuseum Hannover make up the excavation team, and with an ERC grant (CLIOARCH) and a grant from Queen Margrethe II's Archaeological Foundation, the team is working in May 2025 to identify the 14,000-year-old networks.

Facts:

• The Grabow site was originally identified by archaeologist Stephan Veil, who was also behind the excavation of the famous amber animal from Weitsche – northern Germany's oldest known sculpture.
• The amber figure was first found as a fragment and later complete by targeted excavations. It has been central to the dating of similar figures in Denmark and Scandinavia.
• The Jeetzel Valley has yielded several finds from the Federmesser group, a hunter culture characterized by slender arrowheads and advanced tools.
• The amber fragments from Grabow indicate repeated processing of the material – probably for both ornaments and identity-creating objects.
• The layers of finds in the area are rarely well preserved, as the individual sites are not disturbed by modern agriculture.

Contact

Felix Riede
Professor of Prehistoric Archaeology
Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies
School of Culture and Society
Aarhus University
Mail: riede@cas.au.dk
Mobile: +45 6018 7382