Der Heidengraben - Tor G - In Search of the Celts on Waymarking.com

According to Caesar's description of the Gallic wars (58-52 B.C.) the large late-Celtic settlements were identified as "Oppida". These defended central locations emerged everywhere in central Europe between the Atlantic and Hungary during the course of the 2nd century B.C. under the influence of the city cultures of the Mediterranean region.

In the Oppida coins were minted, and markets and political as well as religious assemblies were held. Within the walls blossomed trade and handcrafts made of clay, iron, bronze, glass, bone, leather, textiles, and wood. However, not only were ceramics, agricultural tools and weapons manufactured here but also glass and metal jewelry, horse harnesses, and wagons, and even precision scales, toilet utensiles, and medical instruments.

The diversity of the remains, which includes imported goods from Italy, suggests that the settlements were of central importance within their regions.

The course of the defenses around the Heidengraben Oppida was adapted with strategic forethought to the peninsular form of the plateau, whose steep cliffs offered a natural protection. Only there, where pathways led up the deeply cut valleys, and across a tongue of the southern part of the plateau by Grabenstetten where it is connected to the Alb highlands, were barriers with passageways erected.

An inner defense system with four gates sealed off a 153 ha large surface west of Grabenstetten - the socalled "Elsachstadt" - which presented the core of the Oppidum. With the excavation between 1994 and 1999 surfaced building remains and finds such as wine amphora and coins which were typical of the "Oppida civilization" of the late Celtic period.

The late Celtic Oppida differentiated themselves not only through their often consideraable size for older construction, but also in the design of walls and towers.

In Gaul, a construction principle prevailed, which Caeser had described as so-called "murus gallicus" where the defenses consist of boxlike, earth filled, nailed, wooden framed construction in which timberheads in the stone front were visible.

In contrast, in southern Germany and Bohemia, the dry wall construction of the outer front was mostly stabilized by perpendicular posts which were anchored by horizontal beams in the backfilled embankment. The wall or ramp had a parapet.

All the defenses of the Heidgengraben were erected with such slotted post walls. Whereas this architecture has native central European roots, the Gate constructions, so-called "Zangentore", by which the the walls bend perpendicularly inwards and form a gate passageway are ascribed to Mediterranean examples. With Tor G, the gate sidewalls however draw in a funnel-shape inward and result in a gate plaza over which a paved road runs from the wooden gate chamber. Over the Celtic road pavement lay countless shoe and hoof nails, and even a Celtic silver coin.

The gatehouse, which is marked in the reconstruction by hewn oak posts, occupied two passages and was topped by a parapet. The wooden door leaves were probably fixed on the outside angle post and shut agains a middle post.

A ditch in front of Tor G is not proven to have existed. The cavities in front of the wall served to extract building material. Tor G serves today as a footpath. Roman finds attest that it was also used in Roman times.

Admission Fee (local currency): 0.0 Opening days/times: Daylight hours Web Site: [Web Link] Condition: Partially Reconstructed

Visit Instructions:
No special requirements.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   11/14/2010 XEmacs visited it