Totenhütte von Benzingerode

The Totenhütte von Benzingerode is a stone and wooden burial chamber covering roughly 17 square meters that once stood near the Hellbach stream in Wernigerode. The excavated remains and artifacts are now displayed at the Harz Museum for visitors to examine.

This burial site dates to the Bernburg culture period between 3100 and 2700 BCE and was discovered accidentally in 2001 during road construction work on the B6n highway. The find provided archaeologists with important information about Neolithic settlement patterns and burial practices in the region.

The burial chamber reveals how early communities honored their deceased with handcrafted pottery and bone objects that show skilled craftsmanship. These items and personal belongings tell stories about the daily skills and practices of people from that time.

The archaeological finds can be viewed at the Harz Museum in Wernigerode, where an exhibition presents the objects and contextual information about the site. The original location is no longer visible, but the museum exhibition provides a good overview of the burial chamber and its inhabitants.

Genetic analysis of the skeletal remains shows that the people buried in the chamber were biologically related and formed a family group. This scientific finding allowed researchers to better understand the social structures and family patterns of this ancient community.