The numerous gravel pits in the middle Elbe valley near Magdeburg (Germany) have already yielded many outstanding archaeological finds from the period between the Middle Upper Pleistocene (Weichselian Glacial) and modern times. Particularly for the Pleistocene, the deep soundings into otherwise thickly covered layers constantly offer surprising insights and findings. In the Barleben-Adamsee gravel pit, in addition to flint tools, it was now possible to recover five turtle shell fragments that were around 42,000 to 50,000 years old. The turtles could have been easy-to-transport food reserves of early humans.