I see several issues with your description of events, and will attempt to address them in the order you described them.

There is an exclusion zone around the rock circle you spawn in, which is why you can't place a workbench there. Move a little farther away, and find a flat(ish) spot of ground to place it on. Better yet, find an existing structure and place the workbench inside, then repair that structure with the hammer (made from 3 wood and 2 stone). Repairing things is free, but building more stuff requires more materials.

Remember to get a roof over your workbench before the hammer runs out of durability, or you'll have to make another one instead of repairing the first one. Also note the second tab of the workbench interface; upgrading your hammer (and other stuff) will make it last longer before you have to repair it again.

There are rocks all over the ground, you just have to pick them up.
Similarly, you can pick up branches, and then make a club with 6 of them.

For that matter, fists are perfectly capable weapons against the enemies you will find in the meadows; you should learn to block. On the PC, this is done by holding right-click, even when unarmed. If you time it well (starting your block just before the enemy's attack would land), you can stagger your opponent; this will allow you to get in a good solid blow before they recover.

If you've managed to gather 6-8 enemies, then you're doing it wrong; either get better at running so you don't have so many chasing you at a time, or kill them as you find them so there's only ever one or maybe two to fight.

Your death marker will never despawn, if there are items in it. The map marker is permanent until you right-click it to make it disappear; you literally cannot lose items due to death. You might not want to recover them right away, instead choosing to let whatever killed you wander away first... but there's no time limit, and if we're being entirely fair, you just said you didn't have anything anyway. Pick up rocks and sticks in a different direction, this time, and craft new gear.

There's very little hand-holding in Valheim. Also, this game is difficult. Here's a few tips and tricks to get you started:

Stop sprinting everywhere; save your stamina for when you need it.
Avoid swimming, you will probably drown.
Eat something. Eat something else. Notice how much more health and stamina you have with a full belly, and look for ways to make more and better food.