Block liftings from the Elstorf cemetry reveal exciting finds

As part of the project ‘The Elstorf Burial Ground’, Selina Pohl has been opening block excavations at the NIhK since the beginning of 2026. The metal objects contained therein were recovered during excavations between 2008 and 2016 by the Archaeological Museum Hamburg (AMH) so that they could now be uncovered under laboratory conditions. The organic materials adhering to the metal objects, such as textiles, leather, wood, horn and feathers, are exceptionally well preserved and can therefore be excavated, documented and analysed in detail. This will not only provide valuable insights into the processing and manufacture of textiles and leather objects, but also new findings about the use of organic artefacts in burial rites in north-western Germany from the 6th to 10th centuries.