Stone Age Farmers Settled Near Dortmund Airport 7,000 Years Ago

Arkeonews
24 August 2025

Archaeological discoveries at Dortmund Airport reveal that early Neolithic farmers lived and built houses in the region nearly 7,000 years ago. The findings shed light on the Rössen culture, one of Central Europe’s most influential prehistoric farming communities.

Archaeologists from the Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe (LWL) have unearthed remarkable evidence of Stone Age life at a large construction site near Holzwickede, where the Eco Port Süd business park is set to be developed next to Dortmund Airport. After more than a year of excavation, experts confirmed that early farming societies built houses and lived in the area during the Middle Neolithic period.

Ancient Houses Revealed Beneath Modern Development
Led by archaeologist Philipp Bockelbrink, the excavation team uncovered several house foundations. In the northern section, they completed the outline of a building previously identified during a preliminary survey. Meanwhile, in the southern part of the site, they found remains of at least four or five additional structures.

According to the experts, the site may represent two separate settlement phases, both dating back nearly 7,000 years. While artifacts such as pottery were scarce, the foundations themselves provide significant evidence of early habitation.

Dr. Petra Bergmann of the Unna District Economic Development Agency noted that such discoveries had been anticipated: “The preliminary surveys already suggested prehistoric activity here. Now, after fascinating insights into the past, the land has been released for construction of Eco Port Süd, which will provide high-quality commercial space in a prime location.”

More:
https://arkeonews.net/stone-age-farmers-settled-near-dortmund-airport-7000-years-ago/#google_vignette