Underground tunnel discovered in Stone Age tomb in Germany that may have been used for medieval cult rituals

Archaeologists excavating a Stone Age burial site in Germany have discovered a mysterious “earth tunnel”, probably built by someone in the Middle Ages to hide a ritual performed in secret thousands of years after the grave was dug.

At the end of 2025, the German National Heritage Administration (LDA) in the state of Saxony-Anhalt was surveying land near the village of Dornberg in advance of a construction project. Archaeologists initially found a trapezoidal ditch from the 4th millennium BC, several Neolithic burials from the 3rd millennium BC, and a Bronze Age mound from the 2nd millennium BC, according to a Jan. 29 translated statement.

However, during excavations archaeologists discovered a long oval hole and a large stone slab. The pit was approximately 6.5 feet (2 meters) long and 2.5 feet (0.75 meters) wide, intersecting a Neolithic burial trench at right angles. The excavators initially thought this was yet another grave, but the shaft continued onward, becoming a tunnel system known as the “Erdstall”, German for “earth tunnel” or “shaft”.

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According to the LDA, earth tunnels are underground systems with room-like extensions found in geographic regions with hard but easily workable soils. Hundreds of these systems have been found in Bavaria, and all may have been created in the Middle Ages. Archaeologists do not believe that the underground chambers were ever inhabited, but it is unclear what these tunnels were used for. Theories range from hiding places to spaces for cult activity.

Most earthen tunnels lack archaeological remains. But new discoveries included a metal horseshoe, a fox skeleton, a fragment of a globe-shaped ceramic pot, and a layer of charcoal in one of the narrow, winding passageways. Archaeologists have determined that the entrance to the earthen tunnel was at some point intentionally blocked off by a large block of stone, perhaps to hide secret activities within the tunnel.

“This raises the question of how to interpret our findings,” LDA researchers said in a statement. Together, these artifacts suggest that someone lit a short fire inside the tunnel and left some of their belongings there. And since the Stone Age trapezoidal groove is likely still visible from the ground thousands of years later, it may have been known as a sacred space to the medieval creators of the tunnel.

“However, perhaps this site is generally avoided by the local population due to its importance as a pagan tomb, and is therefore particularly suitable as a hiding place,” LDA officials wrote.

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