The late Linear Pottery culture mass grave from Kilianstädten, southern Wetterau region

The early farmers cleared the still almost untouched primeval forest and built hamlets and villages with the typical longhouses. The remains of such longhouses have also been found in Kilianstädten, scattering over the entire slope and demonstrating that the vicinity of the site must once have been quite densely populated. Some of these settlements were surrounded by moats, as was the case in Kilianstädten.

The skeletons were placed in the gate area of this 2 hectare ditch. At least 26 bodies of mainly young adults and children had been dumped there and were covered with household waste. However, young adults and younger women were under-represented in the sample and may have been kidnapped.

Intentional Torture?

Numerous fractures of the skulls are evidence of blunt or semi-sharp violence, possibly caused by adzes and clubs. A remarkably high number of individuals also showed significant fractures of the tibia and calf bones. These traces suggest intentional torture or mutilation of the victims, perhaps to prevent escape. Children's legs were also broken. The few fractures of the forearms should be interpreted as defensive injuries.

The dead exhibited typical ailments such as vitamin C deficiency, osteomyelitis (inflammation of the bone marrow) and tuberculosis. However, these cannot be interpreted as an indicator of a deficiency situation. Due to radiocarbon dating (¹⁴C), the archaeological material falls roughly into a period between 5200 and 4850 cal BC, according to the ceramics more precisely around 5000 cal BC. The massacre thus dates into the late phase of the Linear Pottery culture. A broken axe blade and two bone arrowheads were located in the backfill between the skeletons – potential murder weapons.

Social Change

This evidence of clear interpersonal violence marks the end of an earlier tendency towards social conformity and even rigidity. This is also supported by the enclosure, whose function in research is controversial, but which, in our opinion, has defensive aspects and may have been a visible sign of increased territorialism.

All this happened at a time when population density is increasing considerably and at least some of the fertile agricultural regions - such as the Wetterau - were very densely populated. One of the reasons for this population increase is likely to have been a tendency towards drier climatic conditions, as demonstrated by various climate data. It becomes clear, that these early farming societies had moved towards increased conflict potential in good times, i.e. that internal social and political process were essentially responsible for this.

Around 5100 B.C. follows a period with strong, very short-term climate fluctuations and some pronounced drought years. These anomalies may have reinforced the trend towards social rigidity that had already set in. However, they were not the trigger the outbreak of violent conflicts and massacres in various places in Central Europe, of which Kilianstädten is only one. Direct motives for the brutal violence between entire communities may have been conflicts within settlements and small regions over territories and political supremacy, or even resources.

It is surprising, however, that the settlement was used again after the massacre. The bodies were buried in the moat and everyday life continued for another two generations. Then, the Linear Pottery Culture ends in the Wetterau and is replaced by the subsequent Middle Neolithic cultures.

Information panel on site

On-site information is provided by an interpretative panel erected in cooperation with the Regionalpark Hohe Straße, the Regionalpark RheinMain, and the municipality of Schöneck.

→ PDF (in german)