Fundstelle

Fundstelle is a German noun (die Fundstelle, plural Fundstellen) that means the place where something is found. The term is used across disciplines to denote a specific location of discovery or origin, and it also appears in scholarly writing to indicate the source location of a quotation or information.

In archaeology, paleontology and geology, a Fundstelle refers to a specific find site where artefacts, fossils, or geological remains have been recovered. A fundstelle is usually documented with geographic coordinates or maps, a description of the site, stratigraphic context, dating information, and characteristics of the finds. Documenting fundstellen allows researchers to analyze distribution patterns, provenance, occupational behavior, and environmental conditions. Reports on fundstellen typically include field notes, photographs, plan drawings, and stratigraphic sections.

In scholarly writing and bibliographic practice, Fundstelle can denote the original source location of a statement or citation within a text. It indicates where in the source the relevant information can be found, serving as a guide to the evidence supporting a claim. While common in German-language discussions, modern references often rely on standardized citations (author, title, publication details) and page or section numbers; the term Fundstelle is more common in analytic notes, commentaries, or archival references.

Etymology and nuance: Fundstelle comes from finden (to find) and stelle (place, location), literally “place of finding.” The term emphasizes provenance and context, whether describing an archaeological site or pointing to the textual location of a source.