Kirchentellinsfurt Grabmal
N 48° 32.193 E 009° 08.275
32U E 510180 N 5375947
This site with interpretive panels in German describes a Roman tomb which was found in the area.
Waymark Code: WM10EB
Location: Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Date Posted: 12/02/2006
Views: 110
The Roman tomb stood approximately 1.8 km downstream from here, directly on the Roman road between Rottenburg (Sumelocenna) and Köngen. The tomb had been destroyed by the Middle Ages and the ruin used as a quarry. Towards the end of the 19th century, sandstone blocks were still being taken from here for the building of the Katharinenkirche in Reutlingen. The city of Reutlingen put up an information panel at the original site under the B27 highway bridge.
Despite the destruction and the few remains, one can put together an approximate picture of the architecture of the tomb. The 23 meter high pillar tomb known as the "Igeler Säule" in the town of Igel on the Mosel river near the German city of Trier, which remains in its original condition, as well as other known Roman tombs can be used as models, and the Kirchentellinsfurt tomb can be attributed to this same type of pillar tomb in its dimensions.
Above a stone foundation (here in concrete) rises a stepped pedestal with a footprint of approximately 4 x 4 meters. One of these pedestal steps is partly restored here with original stones.
Over the pedestal foundation was a lower section which was closed on all sides. The grave inscription was mounted on the front side. Unfortunately, nothing remains of this.
After a cornice layer came the upper section with images of the deceased. Found here, among other items, was the approximately 3.5 meter figure of a man dressed in the toga of a middle class Roman. At his side stood at least one other figure, perhaps his wife or another family member. The lower and upper sections were framed at the corners with pilasters which were adorned with vine branch and leaf friezes. The sides of the upper section were decorated with mythological figures, probably an Attis and a Hercules.
On top of a further frieze decorated section was a curved pyramid like scaled roof, whose tip was crowned with a pinecone or a figure. An original piece of this roof is to be seen here. The whole tomb was, with a high probability, plastered over and painted.
The tomb of Kirchentellinsfurt was erected towards the end of the 2nd century A.D., shortly before the invasion of the Germans in 233 AD. With the construction of the first Neckar valley road between Kirchentellinsfurt and Pliezhausen in 1859, the head forest official from Tscherning discovered the traces of the construction and recognized it as a relic from Roman times. With the widening and straightening of this road in in 1935-1937, once again remains and pieces of sculpture were unearthed and a systematic excavation followed by Oscar Paret. In 1983, the former tomb location by the B27 was excavated by Eberhard Wagner for the last time and completely removed.
The tower made of wood and the partly reconstructed base is approximately half the height of the former tomb. It gives the observer a way to estimate the supposed total height of the construction.
The base step, which has been partly reconstructed with original Sandstone blocks, corresponds to the true floor plan dimensions of the lower section of the tomb, verifiable by means of the excavated remains of the foundation.
A detailed reconstruction of the tomb was intentionally forgone. Reliefs and elements of decoration were, however, available in abundance, although one can no longer determine with certainty on which part of the tomb they were originally to be found.
With the exception of the original piece of scaled roof, the exhibited sculptures are castings from the originals kept in the Württembergischen Landesmuseum.
Most Relevant Historical Period: Roman Empire > 27 B.C.
Admission Fee: Free
Opening days/times:
24/7
Condition: Partly intact or reconstructed
Web Site: Not listed
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