Possible 3,000-Year-Old Meeting Hall Uncovered in Germany

BERLIN, GERMANY—Traces of a hall measuring more than 100 feet long and 30 feet wide have been unearthed in northern Germany, according to a Live Science report. “We were overwhelmed by how big this building must have been,” said Immo Heske of Georg-August University of Göttingen. Heske and his colleagues think the building may have been used as a meeting hall by Hinz, the king of Prignitz, some 3,000 years ago. The study indicates that the walls of the hall were made of wooden planks and wattle and daub finished with clay plaster. It is estimated to have stood about 23 feet tall, suggesting that there may have been multiple stories. The roof was likely made of straw or thatch. A central fireplace and a miniature vessel, possibly used in rituals, were also uncovered. To read about a 4,000-year-old ringed sanctuary in central Germany, go to "Letter from Woodhenge: Stonehenge's Continental Cousin."