Archaeologists have unearthed a significant early medieval Slavic settlement west of Nauendorf, providing a detailed look into the lives of these Central European communities.
The settlement, measuring approximately 120 meters in length and 40 meters in width, yielded over 600 artifacts. These included remains of pit houses, ovens, hearths, and wells. The site's layout reveals a developmental progression: initially, broad, radial ditches up to three meters wide suggest a phase of fortified communal living. These were later replaced by narrower, rectangular ditches, about half a meter wide, which delineated individual farmsteads. This transition indicates a societal shift from communal dwellings to distinct family units, a pattern observed in the broader context of Slavic settlement evolution in Central Europe.
Human remains discovered at the site offer a personal dimension to the findings. Burial 1142 contained a child's skeleton within a stone cist, covered by a slab. The presence of unordered human remains above this burial suggests earlier interments were disturbed, possibly to accommodate new burials, hinting at evolving burial practices.
An adjacent cemetery with at least 44 burials features graves oriented east-west, indicating Christian burial traditions and the community's integration into the medieval Christian landscape. Animal burials also provide insights into beliefs and daily life. The deliberate placement of an adult dog's skeleton within the settlement, and another animal burial in a farmstead ditch, underscore the significant role animals played in the community, often interpreted as reflecting social bonds or ritualistic significance.
The findings at Nauendorf illustrate changes in settlement organization during the early medieval period, reflecting the adaptation of communities over time.