DOI: 10.33547/terra.fertilis04
At the edge of the island: Iron Age settlement remains on Amrum (North Frisia, Germany)
by Ruth Blankenfeldt 
, Christoph Unglaub and Stefanie Klooß
in Terra fertilis, terra deserta. Exploitation of marginal zones, edited by M. J. Przybyła, J. Rodzińska-Nowak and M. Wojenka, Neue Studien zur Sachsenforschung 15, Braunschweig – Kraków: Braunschweigische Landesmuseum, Uniwersytet Jagielloński, Profil-Archeo, pp. 47-63.
Download free PDF 
Abstract: This paper presents the results of recent archaeological investigations at the Iron Age site of Nebel LA 431 on the island of Amrum (North Frisia, Germany). Located within the dynamic landscape of the Wadden Sea, the site provides valuable insight into settlement strategies in a marginal coastal environment shaped by both natural processes and human activity.
Excavations conducted between 2020 and 2022 revealed the remains of a multi-phase longhouse settlement, including characteristic stone pavements, manure gutters, hearths, and associated features. The spatial organization of the structures reflects the typical layout of North Frisian longhouses, combining living quarters and stabling areas. Evidence of repeated fire events, rebuilding phases, and overlapping occupation layers indicates a complex settlement history.
Material culture from the site is dominated by pottery, including forms datable to the transition from the Late Pre-Roman Iron Age to the Early Roman Iron Age (ca. 150 BC–80 AD). Additional finds, such as grinding stones, flint tools, and fossilized sea urchins—possibly used as amulets—provide further insight into daily life and symbolic practices.
Environmental and archaeobotanical data suggest that the inhabitants relied primarily on cereal cultivation, particularly barley, under challenging conditions of poor, sandy soils and limited natural resources. The evidence points to adaptive strategies, including mobility and intensive land use, which may have led to soil depletion and the transformation of the landscape into a “terra deserta.”
Overall, the site of LA 431 illustrates how Iron Age communities in marginal zones balanced environmental constraints with economic needs, contributing to broader discussions on human-environment interactions and the exploitation of peripheral landscapes.