Pömmelte is a village and a former municipality in the district

Salzlandkreis Salzland is a district in the middle of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Its area is . It is bounded by (from the west and clockwise) the districts Harz, Börde, Magdeburg, Jerichower Land, Anhalt-Bitterfeld, Mansfeld-Südharz and Saalekreis. History T ...

, in

Saxony-Anhalt Saxony-Anhalt (german: Sachsen-Anhalt ; nds, Sassen-Anholt) is a state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia and Lower Saxony. It covers an area of and has a population of 2.18 million inhabitants, making it th ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. Since 1 January 2010, it is part of the town Barby. The modern settlement is first documented in 1292 and probably was founded not too long before, probably by Sorbian settlers. Prehistorical dwelling structures, dating from 2800 - 2200 BC and associated with the

Bell Beaker The Bell Beaker culture, also known as the Bell Beaker complex or Bell Beaker phenomenon, is an archaeological culture named after the inverted-bell beaker drinking vessel used at the very beginning of the European Bronze Age. Arising from a ...

and Unetice cultures, have also been identified.

Pömmelte ring sanctuary

During the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second prin ...

, around the late third millennium BC, Pömmelte was the site of an

astronomical Astronomy () is a natural science that studies celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and evolution. Objects of interest include planets, moons, stars, nebulae, galaxi ...

observatory (''Ringheiligtum Pömmelte'') with a function and design similar to Stonehenge, built in wood, with radiocarbon dates indicating 2300 BC as the earliest phase of the ritual centre. The Pömmelte observatory/sanctuary is associated with the

Bell Beaker culture The Bell Beaker culture, also known as the Bell Beaker complex or Bell Beaker phenomenon, is an archaeological culture named after the inverted-bell beaker drinking vessel used at the very beginning of the European Bronze Age. Arising from ar ...

and subsequent

Unetice culture The Únětice culture or Aunjetitz culture ( cs, Únětická kultura, german: Aunjetitzer Kultur, pl, Kultura unietycka) is an archaeological culture at the start of the Central European Bronze Age, dated roughly to about 2300–1600BC. The epon ...

. Speculation among anthropologists in 2018 is considering recognition of a cultural tie broadly throughout Europe and the British Isles associating the traditions from which these structures arose to those much earlier, in places such as such as the 7000-year-old Goseck circle in Germany.Price, Michael,
Rituals performed at this German ‘Stonehenge’ may link mysterious monument to its U.K. counterpart
', Science, June 28, 2018 File:Pommelte3.jpg File:Pommelte2.jpg File:Circle-the-tomb-2538694 1920.jpg File:Kreisgrabenanlage Pömmelte.jpg File:Kreisgrabenanlage vonn Pömmelte.jpg

References

Former municipalities in Saxony-Anhalt Barby, Germany Bronze Age Germany {{Salzlandkreis-geo-stub

Pömmelte ring sanctuary

See also

References