Feddersen Wierde

Feddersen Wierde is an Iron Age settlement on marshland near the Weser estuary in Lower Saxony. It stands on a raised mound built from dung and mud to protect against flooding. The site was occupied from the 1st to the 5th centuries AD. At its peak in the 3rd century, around 300 people lived there with 450 cattle and 26 farmsteads. Most homes were long timber buildings typical of the period. The settlement relied on cereal farming rather than meat or seafood. By the 5th century, rising waters and shifting land made life harder. By 450 AD, the people had left, some moving west to the Low Countries and eastern Britain. Archaeologists found well-preserved remains during digs from 1955 to 1963. Visitors walk along the remains of the old farmsteads and longhouses. The damp soil kept wooden posts and tools intact for centuries. The site shows how people shaped the land to survive in a wet and changeable environment. It offers a clear view across the flat marshland where the Weser meets the North Sea.