More than 800 buried archaeological features discovered along the route of a future bypass in northern Germany are changing researchers’ understanding of prehistoric settlement in the Mecklenburg Lake District.
The discoveries were made near the town of Mirow in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Archaeologists have been examining the planned route of the B198 bypass before construction begins. What they uncovered beneath the soil points to a much larger and longer-lasting prehistoric settlement landscape than previously believed.
Hundreds of buried traces reveal daily life
Researchers investigated an area of about 15,637 square meters, nearly the size of two football fields, and documented more than 800 archaeological features. The discoveries included hearths, cooking pits, pottery fragments, metal objects, and the remains of a possible oven or heating structure.
Many of the remains appeared small or ordinary at first glance. Some survived only as dark stains in the ground, burned material, or broken pottery pieces. But archaeologists say such traces can reveal where people cooked, repaired tools, built fires, and carried out everyday activities thousands of years ago.
Martin Wagner of AIM-V Archäologie said some pottery fragments came from cups and bowls, while several ceramic pieces carried decorative patterns. Researchers dated many of the discoveries to the Late Bronze Age, roughly between 1100 and 550 BC.
Archaeologists investigate the possibility of a larger settlement
Researchers say the distribution of the finds may be the most important part of the excavation. Similar archaeological material appeared at nearby excavation areas between Schulzensee and Mirower See, raising the possibility that the sites once formed part of a connected settlement.
Archaeologists in northern Germany uncovered more than 800 prehistoric features beneath the route of a future bypass near Mirow. The discoveries include hearths, pottery, metal objects and a rare shell-filled pit dating from the Bronze Age to the Pre-Roman Iron Age. pic.twitter.com/oy8WzLNHuv
— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) May 11, 2026
Wagner said archaeologists now plan to investigate the ground between the excavation zones to determine whether the traces continue across the landscape. If they do, researchers believe the planned bypass may have crossed only a narrow section of a much larger prehistoric community still buried beneath the surrounding countryside.
The excavation also uncovered evidence from a later phase of occupation. Archaeologists found a stone-built structure containing charcoal and ash, along with metal objects, including a ring and fragments of everyday pottery.
Researchers believe these remains date to the later Pre-Roman Iron Age, around 300 to 0 BC, showing the region remained attractive for settlement for centuries.
Shell pit offers clues about ancient environment
One of the most unusual discoveries was a pit filled with shell remains. Archaeologists say the feature could provide rare evidence about ancient diets and how prehistoric communities used the lake-rich environment around Mirow.
Researchers are still studying whether the shells represent food waste or another type of activity. Even so, the find suggests that communities living in the region relied heavily on nearby lakes and wetlands for resources.
Archaeologists say the discoveries fit into a broader picture of northeastern Germany as an important prehistoric landscape linked through waterways, trade, and movement networks. Beneath modern roads and farmland, the Mirow excavation is uncovering evidence of communities that lived closely with the lakes and surrounding natural resources thousands of years ago.
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