In Summer 2025, as part of an ongoing archaeological dig at the Duvenseer Moor—a rich archeological site from the Mesolithic era in Northern Germany—a research team from the Leibniz Centre for Archeology (LEIZA) unearthed the skull of an Aurochs (an ancient art of Ox and an ancestor to today’s modern cattle) just a few meters from the site of an important cremation burial site uncovered in 2022/23, which at more than 10,500 years old is the oldest known grave in Northern Germany.

The find and an unusual discovery

The aurochs’ skull was brought by archaeologists in one large block to the Archaeological Museum in Schleswig. There, experts documented the find and when removing a bone fragment from the skullcap, made an unusual and meaningful discovery. 

To further investigate the remains, the team of archaeologists partnered with the Fraunhofer IMTE. The CT scan was performed at Comet's Application and Training Center in Hamburg using a Comet Yxlon FF85 CT system, together with researchers from Fraunhofer IMTE. The acquired CT data was then analyzed collaboratively by Fraunhofer IMTE and LEIZA, and subsequently visualized and rendered by Fraunhofer IMTE using Dragonfly 3D World – helping to uncover new details from the fragmented skull and revealing a clear view of the pine wood stake driven through it.

Evidence of ritualistic activity

While aurochs have been documented as hunting prey during this period of history, this unique find hinted at a different purpose for the animal found near the burial site in Schleswig Holstein. Given the prominent location nearby to the site of cremation, and the fact that the skull was not completely dismembered, the researchers saw the special treatment of this skull as evidence of ritualistic activities, most likely as a trophy to a deceased hunter. Given the increased size (Aurochs bulls could reach a shoulder height of up to 1.8 m), and purported aggressive nature of this ancient bovine ancestor, we can assume it must have been a dangerous situation to hunt them, with Lübke claiming the entire site could have been surrounded by similar impaled animal skulls "Likely to provide additional protection to the deceased through an animistic-totemic burial ritual." 

We would like to extend our thanks to the drivers of this project, the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Individualized Medical Technology and Engineering IMTE (Fraunhofer IMTE) and the Leibniz Centre for Archaeology (LEIZA), for providing us with the opportunity to share their findings on our blog. 

This collaboration, and many other scientific projects performed by Comet over the past years, help to prove the value of CT and X-ray technology in exploring intricate internal details from samples of all shapes, sizes and materials – all without damage to the sample itself. 

You would like to to find out more about how our CT and X-ray systems can support your research?
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