Heunischenburg

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The Heunischenburg near Gehülz ( Kronach )
Front view of the Heunischenburg
The Heunischenburg with a view through the gate to the east
View from above the reconstructed wall

The Heunischenburg is a stone fortification from the late Urnfield Period near the Upper Franconian town of Kronach . With its heyday in the 9th century BC It is the oldest stone fortification north of the Alps, which is known and archaeologically examined today.

Topographical location

The facility is located on a 486 meter high mountain spur of the Wolfsberg between the Kronach district of Gehülz and the village of Burgstall ( Mitwitz community ). The fortification was probably used to monitor a copper and tin trading route into the Fichtel Mountains .

While a mighty, 110-meter-long rampart secured the endangered eastern flank of the former military camp, the steep slopes of the mountain spur on the other sides offered natural protection, which was also reinforced by a wooden fence.

A typical construction of the pincer gate and exit gate shows late Mycenaean influence, so that contacts to Mediterranean civilization can be inferred.

The powerful, but small-scale fortifications and the many weapons found set the Heunischenburg apart from the large late Bronze Age central settlements such as the Ehrenbürg near Forchheim and the Großer Gleichberg in Thuringia.

Surname

Two interpretations are discussed:

  1. The term “Heunen” can be understood as something that comes from a gray, legendary past.
  2. The basic word "Heunen" ( Hünen ) could be related to the gigantic builders of the fortifications, who arose from the imagination of the people of the Middle Ages.

history

Excavations revealed three settlement periods:

  • In the first period (10th century BC) the Heunischenburg consisted of a wooden earth fortification
  • In the second period (10th century BC) the defense was ensured by a sandstone wall, which probably burned down in battle.
  • The third period (9th century BC) was the expansion of the Heunischenburg into a strong fortification.

The north-eastern flank was protected by a 2.6 m wide, 3.5 m high and 110 m long sandstone wall. In front of this was a 3.5 m wide berm and a shallow material trench. The wall of the inner gate flank in the gate area continued only as a single shell. The outer gate flank placed on the slope was 2 m wide and continued as a 55 m long wooden fence. This probably enclosed the whole complex. The inner gate flank had a 1 m wide gate with a wooden tower in front.

excavation

The archaeological dating was based on numerous bronze finds (around 70 percent weapons). They were needles, rings, razors, decorative discs, chased sheet metal fragments, fragments of swords, spearheads and arrowheads. Since many arrowheads were found that were used without being deburred , it is assumed that at least at times there was an extremely high demand for ammunition in the settlement. A helmet from the Urnfield period was found in Thonberg, which is not far away .

reconstruction

In 1986 and 2000, based on confirmed findings, a wall section from the last fortification phase was reconstructed with a berm in front , the gate with its wooden tower and the gate lane extending far into the interior. This very successful reconstruction is the only one of its kind in southern Germany!

literature

  • Björn-Uwe Abels : The Heunischenburg near Kronach. A late urnfield fortification . Univ.-Verl., Regensburg 2002, ISBN 3-930480-28-X .
  • Björn-Uwe Abels and Helmut Voss: Rare and beautiful, archaeological treasures from the prehistory and early history of Upper Franconia . CHW Monographs 9, Lichtenfels 2007.

Web links

Commons : Heunischenburg  - Collection of images

Coordinates: 50 ° 14 ′ 33.4 ″  N , 11 ° 15 ′ 55.4 ″  E