Archaeologists have discovered a previously unknown 10th-century stone building during excavations at the lost Ottonian royal palace of Helfta near Lutherstadt Eisleben in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.
The discovery was made during renewed investigations by the State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology (LDA) of Saxony-Anhalt under Professor Felix Biermann).
The building was found next to the palatium (royal palace) and has been dated to the 10th century based on associated archaeological finds.
It is about 9 by 5 metres and has a cellar with a well-preserved access staircase. Its function is not known but archaeologists believe it was either the home of members of the entourage of the king or that of a burgrave who ran the palace while the king was away.
The discovery adds to a complex of monumental stone buildings associated with the reign of Otto the Great (AD 912–973), who established Helfta as an important royal residence during the Ottonian period.
Previous excavations conducted between 2020 and 2023 identified the remains of St Radegund's Church, founded by Otto before AD 969, along with an associated cemetery and the foundations of the royal palace.
Together, these structures formed the ceremonial and administrative centre of Helfta, which contemporary sources described as a curtis imperialis, or imperial court.
The latest investigations have also uncovered a stone-reinforced terrace on the eastern side of the palace, dating to the same period.
According to the archaeologists, the terrace formed a prominent platform within the royal courtyard, bordered by the palace and church, and may have been used for open-air assemblies.
The newly identified building and terrace provide further evidence of the monumental architecture constructed at Helfta to demonstrate royal authority during the 10th century.
Historical records indicate that the palace was visited by Otto the Great and his successor, Otto II (AD 955–983), as well as the medieval chronicler Bishop Thietmar of Merseburg.
The royal complex developed from an earlier fortified settlement known as Helphideburc, which was mentioned in the ninth-century Hersfeld tithe register.
Excavations have revealed substantial fortifications, residential buildings, workshops and industrial installations associated with the Carolingian and Ottonian occupation of the hilltop.
Beyond the monumental buildings of the royal court, archaeologists have also uncovered further evidence of everyday life in the southeastern outer bailey.
The remains include numerous rectangular sunken-featured buildings, generally measuring between 3 and 5 metres across, which originally had wattle-and-daub walls and timber or thatched roofs.
These structures were heated by stone-lined hearths and served as homes and workshops for the population responsible for supporting the royal residence.
Finds of clay loom weights, casting crucibles and a lime kiln indicate that textile production, non-ferrous metalworking and the manufacture of lime for plaster and mortar were undertaken at the settlement.
The contrast between these modest buildings and the monumental stone architecture of the royal complex provides evidence of the social and economic divisions within the medieval settlement.
The investigations have also examined the remains of a later fortified castle constructed during the 12th century, when the former royal centre had declined in importance.
The castle belonged to the von Hackeborn family and may have been associated with Gertrud and Mechthild von Hackeborn, two prominent figures connected with the medieval Cistercian monastery of Helfta.
Unlike the earlier royal palace, the castle occupied a smaller fortified area, comprising an oval moated enclosure approximately 50 metres in diameter and an adjoining outer bailey.
Excavations in 2023 uncovered the foundations of its rectangular main tower, while the current investigations have revealed sections of the surrounding curtain wall, cellars, timber-framed buildings and a larger residential structure.
The ongoing excavations have also identified additional graves associated with St Radegund's Church, further sections of defensive walls and ditches, and the remains of a palisade fortification dating to the pre-Roman Iron Age.
A second underground passage, described as an earth cellar dating to the Late Middle Ages, has also been investigated.
Among the artefacts recovered are several silver coins dating from the 10th to 15th centuries, along with Ottonian jewellery, including earrings and enamelled garment clasps.
One particularly unusual find is a crescent-shaped brooch, while other discoveries include iron arrowheads, pottery decorated with characteristic Slavic wave patterns, an almost functional bone flute and a fragment of an antler box decorated with circular eye motifs dating to around AD 1000.
The excavations form part of a wider project to develop visitor infrastructure at the former royal palace, supported by the state of Saxony-Anhalt through the Saxony-Anhalt REVIER 2038 structural development programme.
The 2026 investigations, supported by approximately 20 volunteers, are scheduled to continue until 24 October.
According to the LDA, the discoveries are providing an increasingly detailed picture of Helfta's development, from an early medieval fortified settlement to an Ottonian royal centre and later aristocratic castle.
Source: State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt (LDA)