By Bernhard Kirschner
2600 years ago, the Celts ruled the southwest of Germany. One of their centers was the Heuneburg above the Danube near Sigmaringen. The Celts had trade links as far afield as the Mediterranean. Finds of gold jewelry and fine tableware in so-called burial mounds attest to their wealth and power. Their warriors even came as far as Syria.
Celts without written evidence
However, the early Celts themselves left no written evidence. They only appear occasionally in the writings of the Greeks and Romans. Scientists are therefore dependent on archaeological finds. They come across traces of the Celts in many places in Baden-Württemberg. At Heuneburg Castle and in burial mounds in the surrounding area, extensive excavations have unearthed jewelry made of gold, bronze and amber, vessels for wine and painted earthenware. The site is considered to be the oldest city north of the Alps. Several thousand people lived there. The castle area was fortified with a high mud-brick wall. The model comes from the Mediterranean region.
Celtic fortifications on the Swabian Alb
There is currently an excavation near Hayingen (Reutlingen district) in the Lauter Valley in the Swabian Jura. Archaeologists from the Baden-Württemberg State Office for the Preservation of Monuments have been searching for the remains of a Celtic hilltop settlement for four years. It is located around 20 kilometers north of Heuneburg Castle. The plateau called “Althayingen” is located around 100 meters above the valley and is around seven hectares in size—that’s ten soccer pitches. The site is only easily accessible from one side. The other sides slope steeply down into the valley. The ramparts and ditches of the fortifications are still clearly visible today. They protected the people there from attacks, explains state archaeologist Prof. Dirk Krausse.
Searching for the gate of the Celtic settlement
So far, the archaeologists have found the remains of walls and houses. Inside were shards of clay pots like those used at the neighboring Heuneburg. The numerous bones prove that pigs and chickens were kept. They may have been transported to the princely seat at Heuneburg Castle to feed the population.
But where was the entrance to the fortified complex? This is still a mystery for archaeologists. Excavations are currently underway in the north-western corner of the site. Geomagnetic investigations have revealed unusual structures there.
Passageway through Celtic gate found
The archaeologists from the State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments are being supported by volunteers. In the pit, which measures around seven by seven meters and is a good one meter deep, you can see lots of stones. A clear structure was not recognizable for a long time, explains excavation manager Lennart Brandstätter. The stones of the massive walls had fallen on top of each other and were lying in a jumble. But after six weeks of intensive excavation, the passageway through the gate was found, Brandstätter is pleased to report. He points to a dark area about three meters wide that is clearly visible on the ground. The Tübingen archaeologist is certain that it is bordered by neatly stacked stones that were part of a double-shell wall of the gate. Many of the limestones are red in color. They must have been exposed to very high temperatures, chief archaeologist Dirk Krausse also suspects. The complex must have fallen victim to a devastating fire.
Control of the trade route from the Neckar to the Danube
Charred remains of wooden planks, which were recovered last year, also suggest a huge fire. They lay under the stones that had been cleared away. They may have come from the gate’s roof or battlements. The archaeologists can only speculate as to why the gate was set on fire. It is possible that the settlement was attacked and destroyed by hostile Celts.
Professor Krausse suspects that the Celts controlled the valley and secured an important trade route. The site could have been an outpost of the Heuneburg. The Lauter flows into the Danube a little further south. And it was used to transport valuable goods such as amber from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean region. Jewelry made of this coveted material was found in graves in Egypt and Lebanon, in Syria and Mesopotamia, today’s Iraq.
Destruction and migration of the Celts
In the 5th century BC, the Heuneburg was destroyed. The system collapsed. Althayingen was also abandoned. Experts assume that a change in the climate brought poor harvests. The majority of the population moved away. Around 400, the Celts suddenly appeared in the Mediterranean region. Their warriors caused fear and terror in Greece and Italy. They came as far as present-day Turkey and settled near Ankara. There they were called Galatians in the scriptures. The Celts were valued as brave warriors and fought for foreign rulers such as Alexander the Great and regional kings in Syria.
If you would like to find out more about the life and culture of the early Celts in southwest Germany, you can visit the Heuneburg Museums. Parts of the mud-brick wall and several buildings have been reconstructed on the mountain spur above the Danube.
www.heuneburg-pyrene.de
www.heuneburg.de
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So könnte die Heuneburg der Kelten vor 2600 Jahren ausgesehen haben. Foto: Landesamt für Denkmalpflege im Regierungspräsidium Stuttgart / Faber Courtial.
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