About 9,000 years ago a woman was buried in Bad Dürrenberg in the Saale district. New analyzes of this Stone Age grave now show that a shaman was buried there, complete with an elaborate headdress made of antlers and bird feathers. 600 years later, people continued to wear headdresses with feathers right next to the grave to pay tribute to the dead.
The grave of the so-called shaman of Bad Dürrenberg was discovered in the Saale district in 1934. At that time, the bones of the dead, which were found by chance, had to be recovered within a short period of time. It is only since 2019 that archaeologists have more systematically uncovered the area around the former grave, finding additional relics and examining them in more detail. In the analyzes carried out so far, the experts have already determined that the grave dates back to the Mesolithic period and that a 30- to 40-year-old woman was buried there around 9,000 years ago, along with a child of around six months old. The woman wore a headdress made of roebuck antlers and a pendant made of animal teeth. These and other rich offerings indicate that the dead woman had a special social position during her lifetime: she was probably the shaman and spiritual leader of her group.
Shaman was buried with feather headdress
Now there are new findings about other finds from this grave: Researchers led by Tuija Kirkinen from the University of Helsinki had analyzed fragments that were only a few millimeters in size under the microscope, which they believed to be the remains of bird feathers. These would have to be so-called arc and hook rays, since only these components are preserved in the ground, as the team explains. These are located on the branches that extend to the side of the quill and ensure the strength of the feather by interlocking with each other. Kirkinen and her colleagues have now determined that the relics are actually arched and hooked rays of feathers, including goose feathers from the head area of the grave. The analyzes thus confirm the existing assumptions that the shaman was buried with, among other things, a headdress made of antlers and feathers.
But the excavations revealed even more: right next to the shaman’s grave, the archaeologists found another pit in which two masks made from deer antlers lay. These items were apparently placed there around 600 years after the woman was buried. The researchers conclude that the shaman was so important that people continued to leave valuable gifts at her well-marked grave centuries after her death. The microscope examinations now revealed that these masks were once equipped with feathers. These come from songbirds from the family of passerines and chickens, which include capercaillie, black grouse and red grouse. The archaeologists also found a remnant of bast fibers on one of the two masks. This suggests that the deer antlers were once elaborately crafted into masks decorated with feathers.
Special exhibition shows religion of the Mesolithic period
From March 2026, visitors can view the findings of the excavations and analyzes in the special exhibition “The Shaman” in the Halle State Museum of Prehistory. This is intended to illustrate how people lived in Central Europe during the Mesolithic period and brings together exhibits from various countries from this era on loan. The show also traces the beginnings of religion and spirituality, of which the shaman is the most impressive example.
Source: State Office for Monument Preservation and Archeology Saxony-Anhalt – State Museum of Prehistory; Specialist article: Tuija Kirkinen, Conference SA Volume 33, ISBN-10: 3948618992, pages 159 to 169