Overview
- State archaeologists in Saxony-Anhalt report that a small pit near Alsleben held beaver bones dated to 4935–4787 BC.
- The feature, about 80 centimeters across, was lifted in one block during 2024 SuedOstLink route surveys and opened under lab conditions.
- Researchers identified at least twelve beavers of mixed ages, and the jumbled bones show the carcasses had decayed before dumping.
- Orange to brown beaver incisors, colored by iron in the enamel, helped confirm the species during analysis.
- The team interprets the deposit as pelting waste linked to the Stichbandkeramische culture, adding evidence for fur clothing and craft in Neolithic Central Europe.