The Dolmen Goddess of Langeneichstädt
The incisions on the human-sized sandstone column vaguely recall human features. Whoever looks at the stone, inevitably notices the enigmatic oval with two dots, reminiscent of a pair of eyes. Behind these signs, which at first seem simple, there is more than meets the eye. With its language of symbols and signs, the menhir from the megalithic tomb at Langeneichstädt provides insights into the complex magical imaginary worlds of more than 5,000 years ago.
Only the lower area is largely unworked. This is the base, which was originally sunk into the ground. The menhir originally stood upright in the terrain - this is also indicated by the weathering traces of the sandstone. It is no longer possible to reconstruct where the menhir stood before it was incorporated into the megalithic tomb at Langeneichstädt and what significance it had at that time. It possibly marked a burial mound. Did the human-like figure commemorate a deceased person or are we dealing with the image of a deity?
Menhir mit Dolmengöttin
The menhir with "Dolmen Goddess" was discovered in 1987 as a capstone in a stone chamber tomb within sight of the Eichstädt watchtower. It is one of the extremely rare examples in central Europe of decorated menhirs that resemble a human figure. The sandstone block, which is about 1.70 m in length and thus almost human-sized, has been worked all round with the skill of a stonemason. The surface shows traces of tools and various symbols and decorations.
Detailed view of the base in 1987. © LDA Saxony-Anhalt.
More than long stones
In the 5th millennium BC a new idea awoke in Western Europe: building monumentally.
In addition to huge long mounds, serving as burial structures, these are mainly structures made of large stones (Greek "mégas" = large, "lithos" = stone). Megalithic tombs and menhirs are witnesses to this early monumentality.
The term menhir comes from the Breton language and means something like "long stone" (Men = stone, hir = long).
The menhirs, some of which weigh several tonnes, were often erected by humans at prominent locations and can still be found in many places today. They exist both in unworked form as "erratic blocks", but also hewn by stonemasons as columnar or slab menhirs.
These impressive giants are among the best-known monuments of prehistory, and yet they continue to puzzle us to this day. Even today, countless myths and legends have grown up around the "long stones". Their meaning has not yet been unravelled: the range of interpretations discussed extends from boundary stones and landscape markers to "soul thrones" or "ancestral bodies".
Ornamentation of the Dolmen Goddess
The menhir at Langeneichstädt is covered with various engravings, symbols, holes, and cup-like depressions. The decoration on the upper part of the menhir is particularly striking: a stemmed oval is divided into several fields by transverse and longitudinal lines. The upper two fields are provided with two dot-shaped indentations. The motif is reminiscent of a human face. Some researchers associate it with the motif of the "dolmen goddess", which goes back to western European antetypes of menhirs and petroglyphs:
The decorations on the Langeneichstädt menhir are highly stylised - only the eyes and the circular shape still indicate human features. The "dolmen goddess" and her western European antetypes are often associated with a mother goddess representing fertility and life.
Other researchers see in the oval rather a stylised battle shield, which could perhaps symbolise the protection of the ancestors. In the context of ancestor cults exist references to such "animated" shields, which then support the warrior in battle with the special power of the ancestors.
The Langeneichstädt menhir in the State Museum of Prehistory in Halle (Saale). Clearly visible are the traces of smoothing on the sides. © LDA Saxony-Anhalt, photo: R. Noack.
At the upper end of the menhir a small cup-like depression is discernible, which is called an "apex cup”. Such cup marks are known from megalithic sites as well as from numerous petroglyphs. However, it is difficult to determine their function and significance.
From written sources of more recent epochs it is known that occasionally stone material was extracted. In the form of ground powder, people literally ingested the powers they attributed to the stones in this way. Further hollows and cavities on the stele from Langeneichstädt may indicate that stone was removed several times.
The Motif of the Dolmen
The power of the stones
The sides of the menhir exhibit clear traces of smoothing, probably due to frequent touching of the stone. Such practices can be traced back to magical beliefs: By touching the stone, some people believe to this day, a transfer of power could occur. The stone is often revered as the seat of a deceased ancestral soul or a deity who holds magical powers and has an influence on people's lives in this world.
This form of contact magic beliefs has been handed down in ethnographic and historical traditions in various places around the world. In this context, touching menhirs is often associated with the wish for protection from evil forces, general well-being, the hope for pregnancy, or a happy birth.
Detail of the menhir of the Dolmen Goddess from above. © LDA Saxony-Anhalt.
Menhire Sachsen-Anhalt
In a compact area in Saxony-Anhalt further megalithic tombs are known in which decorated menhirs were incorporated.
The examples of Pfützthal, Dingelstedt, and Schafstädt show that ideas from Western Europe were apparently adopted in Saxony-Anhalt. In addition to the favourable location of the region, the main reason for this could have been the local deposits of raw materials such as salt and copper, which already in the Neolithic period were transported over long distances. Along with exchange and trade, spread also ideas and religious beliefs.
The Langeneichstädt menhir is special for several reasons: We know of a comparatively large number of menhirs from Saxony-Anhalt. But only very few of them are figuratively decorated or worked in any way. Menhirs in stylised human form, such as the "Dolmen Goddess" from Langeneichstädt, appear in Saxony-Anhalt in the period between 3100 and 2200 BC mainly in the context of graves. The stones probably initially marked burial mounds or significant sites. Only later were they reused as building material (so-called spolia) in megalithic tombs. Many of these stones are therefore probably much older than the graves in which they were incorporated.
The Langeneichstädt menhir also found its way into the megalithic tomb as a spolia. As one of five preserved capstones, the excavators did not notice it at first, because the decorated area faced towards the interior of the burial chamber. Was it intended to give the deceased special protection by installing the menhir? Perhaps to protect them from grave robbers? Was for the construction of the tomb a stone deliberately chosen which had been revered for many generations as a sacred relic of past times?
Or had the "Dolmen Goddess" long since ceased to have any significance for the builders of the Langeneichstädt megalithic tomb and was merely recycled here as a profane building material?
Zum tiefer graben...
To Dig Deeper...
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