Archaeologists working at the Bruchhauser Steine hillfort in Germany’s Sauerland region have uncovered evidence that the dramatic rock formation served as a site for ritual practices more than 2,000 years ago.
The discoveries — announced by the Westphalia-Lippe Regional Association (LWL) — include carefully crafted Iron Age axe heads, and signs of quartz mining that experts say were part of ceremonial activities.
The discoveries originate from excavations conducted in 2025 by specialists from LWL Archaeology for Westphalia. According to LWL Chief Archaeologist Dr. Sandra Peternek, the new finds provide the clearest evidence yet that the towering rocks held deep religious significance for communities living there during the Iron Age.
“The situation on the rock is exceptional and demonstrates for the first time that the Bruchhauser Steine played an important role in the religious worldview of Iron Age people,” Peternek said.
Near Olsberg-Bruchhausen in North Rhine-Westphalia, there are four large porphyry rock formations known as the Bruchhauser Steine visible from miles away. Today, they’re a popular hiking destination and the state’s first National Natural Monument.
But archaeologists explained that the site is also of great historical importance. The area was fortified between the 5th and 3rd centuries BC because the rocks formed part of a hillfort settlement, and defensive structures were constructed around the prominent formations around 500 BC.
However, the site is rather remote and exposed to harsh weather, making it an uncommon settlement point given the better conditions situated along the nearby Hellweg trade route.
The question of why ancient communities fortified the site has long puzzled researchers. Earlier finds, including a fragment of an arm ring and a deliberately damaged spearhead discovered in 2013, hinted that the location may have had ritual importance.
The latest discovery began when local historian and licensed metal detectorist Matthias Dickhaus found two Iron Age iron axes on a cliff surface. The blades had been carefully placed at right angles to each other, suggesting intentional positioning. Dickhaus reported the find immediately, prompting a full archaeological investigation.
During the excavation, researchers uncovered a filled pit directly beneath the axes. The pit had originally been created to extract quartz embedded in the rock. Archaeologists found a stone slab and a hammer-like stamp stone used to crush the quartz into small fragments.
According to Zeiler, the evidence indicates a ritual sequence: quartz was mined from the rock, crushed on-site, and the pit was then deliberately filled in again along with the tools used in the process. The placement of the axes likely marked the ceremonial conclusion of the activity.
Researchers note that quartz could have been more easily mined at the base of the rock, suggesting the elevated location itself held symbolic meaning. Some archaeologists speculate that Iron Age communities may have associated the high rock with the “Otherworld,” a concept from Celtic belief referring to a supernatural realm inhabited by gods or spirits.
Quartz was often added to pottery clay during the Iron Age, leading researchers to suggest the material extracted here may have been used in special ritual vessels.
Several finds from the excavation—including the stone slab, stamp stone, and crushed quartz—will be displayed in a new exhibition at the Bruchhauser Steine Foundation museum. For conservation reasons, replicas of the axes will be shown to the public while the originals are preserved.
Sources : LWL
