The former independent municipality Giften has been a part of Sarstedt since 1 March 1974.[3]
Mayor
The mayor of Sarstedt is Heike Brennecke (SPD). She was elected in September 2014,[4] and re-elected in 2021.[1] The predecessor was Karl-Heinz Wondratschek (SPD).
In 2001, three skull fragments were reported to have been discovered by amateur fossil collectors Otrud and Karl-Werner Frangenberg from the locality. Of the fossils are the somewhat complete temporalSarstedt I (Sst I), the occipital fragment Sarstedt II (Sst II), and the left parietal fragment Sarstedt III (Sst III). They were discovered on the surface of sand pits on the western end of the village; the first fossil was found on January 2, 1999, the second on November 8, 1997, and the final on October 30, 1999. Sst I was discovered in matrix aged anywhere from 115-58 ka, while Sst II is embedded in older matrix suggesting an older date.[5]
Sarstedt I is determined to be a young girl between 2 and 4 years of age based on the inner anatomy and development of the auditory canal. As well, the mastoid is consistent with Ehringsdorf and Krapina, other Neanderthal fossils. Sarstedt II exhibits a generalized suite of characters that are common in Neanderthals. Sarstedt III has arterial impressions that are only found in hominins ancestral to Homo sapiens. Additionally, the curvature of the specimen is very unlike Homo neanderthalensis. Overall, the specimens have anatomy that derives away from Neanderthals, though the inclusion of Sst I in Homo erectus or an ancestral phase of Neanderthals definitely unwarranted. However, Czarnetzki, Gaudzinski-Windheuser, and Pusch (2001) suggest that further testing is required to affirm this classification.[5]
Technology
While the Frangenberg brothers did retrieve the human fossils, their collection also includes stone tools discovered over three years. They are handaxes, scrapers modified on both faces, and discoidal cores that are commonly associated with the Middle Pleistocene. They are made from grey flint, all with varying degrees of patination and gravel contusions, which suggests that the tools underwent differing taphonomic processes that makes it unclear if they represent one assemblage or a series of staggered "off-site" activities. Otherwise, it is not known how the lithics correspond with the age of the human fossils.[5]
