2023-09-13 14:11:00
Traces of a large settlement, whose age is estimated at 4500-3500 years, were discovered in Germany on the territory of the future construction site of a factory for the production of computer chips of the American company Intel near Magdeburg.
As the German news agency dpa reported on Tuesday, September 12, planned excavations are now being carried out at the site as required by the rules and archaeological work should not affect the timing of this major investment project. Presumably, they will be completed before the end of the year.
Foundations of a large building and the so-called earthen housePhoto: Ronny Hartmann/dpa/picture alliance
So far, employees of the State Archaeological Office of Saxony-Anhalt have discovered traces of about fifty houses. Of particular interest to scientists was the elongated oval shape of the base of buildings, unusual for this region, which was common during this period in the northern part of what is now Germany and the Scandinavian Peninsula.
As the head of the excavations, Susanne Friederich, noted, in the territory of Saxony-Anhalt, traces of houses of this type were first discovered near the city of Haldensleben and later in the Börde region.
At the beginning of the excavations, traces of about fifty buildings were found in this area alone. Photo: Ronny Hartmann/dpa/picture alliance
The size of most houses was approximately 10 meters by 4 meters, one was 15 meters by 5 meters. Near this large building there was also a so-called pit or earthen house (Grubenhaus), which was used in this settlement, presumably for craft work.
When constructing such buried structures, a pit approximately two meters deep was first dug, over which a roof was then erected. Earth huts, intended for a variety of purposes, are found in cultures around the world. The oldest ones date back to the Late Paleolithic period.
Intel’s new factory will be built in this location near the capital of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt Photo: Ronny Hartmann/dpa/picture alliance
At the site of the future Intel factory, a small burial field was also found, on the outskirts of which a grave from the time of the Great Migration was discovered, the age of which is estimated at approximately 1,300 years.
As Suzanne Friederich noted, the height of the person buried here was 1.65 meters, which is much greater than the average height of people of this time. A knife, a metal sword scabbard tip, a belt buckle and fragments of a bronze clothing pin were found in this grave.
The excavations are at an early stage, so archaeologists cannot yet provide many additional facts and details, but they assume that the foundations of other buildings will be found here in the coming months. The total number can increase several times – up to one hundred or even two hundred. The area of the area where archaeological work is being carried out will be almost 300 hectares.
Intel project in Saxony-Anhalt
The total cost of the project to build a new Intel factory near Magdeburg is estimated at 30 billion euros, of which almost 10 billion euros will come from budget subsidies. The corresponding agreement was signed in the presence of German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz in June 2023.
About 7,000 builders will participate in the construction of the complex. The computer chip plant would then create at least 3,000 jobs. The region will also host production facilities of various supplying companies.
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