Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of a settlement more than 2,500 years old in Hüllhorst, in the Minden-Lübbecke district, during preparatory work for a new municipal fire station.
The excavation, supervised by the LWL Archaeology for Westphalia, has revealed rare structural evidence from the pre-Roman Iron Age.
The new discovery was made on Lohagenweg, where the city plans to build a new fire station. The site is situated on the edge of the Wöhrsiek, a spring that is still in use today, so archaeological authorities had regarded it as a hotbed for settlement.
Habitats near water bodies commonly became established by prehistoric community members, giving the area an archaeologically sensitive status.
In the summer of 2025, excavators removed topsoil in four narrow strips to evaluate the site. Beneath the surface, they recognised areas of soil with colour indicating former storage and refuse pits. More useful, clusters of little postholes — dark stains denoting where wooden support posts had once been — enabled researchers to recreate the ground plans of several buildings.
“Alongside two smaller structures, we uncovered the remains of a large dwelling,” said excavation director Hisham Nabo. The layout suggests careful planning: the house was oriented along a northeast–southwest axis, with its narrow ends facing the prevailing winds to reduce exposure. Such design considerations point to a sophisticated understanding of environmental conditions among early Iron Age builders.
Identified items from the surrounding pit fills have enabled dating initially. Handled cups — terrines, for example — and coarse-walled pots with finger-impressed rims suggest an early phase of the pre-Roman Iron Age, possibly from 800 to 600 BC. The find was regarded as exceptional by Iron Age specialist Sebastian Düvel, a scientific adviser with LWL Archaeology for Westphalia.
Such house plans from this time period, in East Westphalia, were previously only recorded in Werther and Minden, and only in recent years have such finds been identified. Radiocarbon dating of charcoal fragments from the postholes is ongoing to narrow the chronology.
It was stated that even though it was apparent from the evidence that the settlement extends further north, officials said the construction of the fire station would proceed as planned. Excavations were limited to areas directly affected by development to ensure both preservation of archaeological remains and timely completion of the project.
The scientific investigation was completed before construction began, thanks to early cooperation between municipal authorities, archaeologists, and contractors, allowing modern infrastructure and ancient history to coexist on the same ground.
Header Image Credit : LWL-AfW / A. Koch
Sources : LWL
