Ring wall of Otzenhausen

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Ring wall of Otzenhausen
Remains of the ring wall of Otzenhausen

Remains of the ring wall of Otzenhausen

Alternative name (s): Hun ring
Creation time : 5th to 1st century BC Chr.
Castle type : Hilltop castle
Conservation status: Wall
Place: Nonnweiler - Otzenhausen
Geographical location 49 ° 37 '23 "  N , 7 ° 0' 8"  E Coordinates: 49 ° 37 '23 "  N , 7 ° 0' 8"  E
Ringwall of Otzenhausen (Saarland)
Ring wall of Otzenhausen
Mannfelsen at the Hunnenring
The source in the southwest of the ring wall
The spring area in the ramparts, which is mostly dried out today
The remainder of the foundation wall of a Roman temple in the center of the ramparts

The ring wall of Otzenhausen (popularly also called the Hunnenring ) is a mighty Celtic fortification ( oppidum ) on the slope of the Dollberg near Otzenhausen , a district of the municipality of Nonnweiler in northern Saarland near the Primstalsperre .

Definition

Like other prehistoric fortifications, it was popularly referred to as the " Huns Ring ", although there is no connection with the Huns. It is believed that the old term 'Hunnich' (for king) has something to do with it. A linguistic connection with 'Hünen' because of the size of the facility is also conceivable. It is also conceivable that the rapturous-historicizing naming of the early 19th century, which is often encountered, when a feeling of romanticism and national impulse led to numerous word creations of a similar kind in Germany. Today the place is led as one of the five known city-like settlements of the Treveri .

Dating

Archaeologists date the origin to the early La Tène period (5th / 4th century BC). In the 2nd and 1st centuries BC The complex was considerably expanded. Around the year 51 BC The Roman wall was probably abandoned by the Romans under the orders of Titus Labienus - the marching camp is located at Hermeskeil and is in the immediate vicinity. There was no Roman settlement, but there was a Gallo-Roman temple district in the formerly Celtic cult area. This temple district contained a few small temples. In Roman times there was a small settlement with one of the largest temples in the Treveri area on the old access road to the ring wall. As a result, the ring wall was abandoned by the Roman occupation and tabooed as a settlement, but centuries after its decline it retained the religious nimbus of a former central place of worship.

The ramparts and their meaning

The ring wall is the remains of the fortification of a village ("Oppidum", Latin: city) of the Celtic tribe of the Treveri. The Dollberg near Otzenhausen occupies a special position among the late Celtic Treverian fortifications, as it probably already had a fortification in early Celtic times. Due to the limited settlement area of ​​18 hectares, the allocation to the Oppida was long controversial, but today it is assumed that there was still an unfortified settlement around the actual fortification , in any case on the "Spätzrech", which would significantly increase the settlement area. In 1849 two Celtic princely graves were discovered in the neighboring town of Schwarzenbach , two kilometers away, which probably contain the remains of the rulers of the fortress. On September 9, 1836, the Prussian Prince Wilhelm visited the area. For this purpose, a square was cleared inside the wall, which is still called Königsplatz today. In addition, an oak tree was planted in a stone enclosure and a possibility of crossing the wall was created so that it could even be overcome with a horse.

Perhaps the existing fortification was built between the years 78 to 67 BC. As a protection against the movement of the Germanic Suebi , like other Treverian castellas in the area. Contrary to what was claimed in older publications, the Treveri cities and fortifications played no role in the Gallic War and are not mentioned in Caesar's “ De Bello Gallico ” , as the Treveri were mostly on the offensive. It is very likely that the complex was the seat of the Treverian ruler Indutiomarus .

Finds point to iron processing and possibly also iron smelting as the source of the prosperity of the Celtic inhabitants .

The fortification was built in the middle of the 1st century BC. Abandoned after the Gallic War, only the surrounding settlements were still inhabited, but to a smaller extent than before. Apart from a sanctuary from the 2nd or 3rd century AD from the Roman Empire , which may have been dedicated to Diana or Mars , the complex was no longer populated.

construction

A gate in the west of the ring wall allowed access to the inner area. Inside was a spring that ensured the water supply for the residents.

The building is still impressive today, with a length of 2.5 km the wall covers more than 18 hectares and reaches a maximum height of 10 meters with a base width of the wall of more than 40 meters. The walls of that time were built using the so-called " Murus Gallicus " technique, in which a kind of timber framework was provided with stone. This form of fortification gave the defenders a very stable protection against attackers with driving and skidding the castle grind wanted. Especially in the northern part of the complex, where the fortress had to be protected more strongly from the flat terrain, this wood-stone wall was formerly up to 25 m high with a base width of 25 meters at the time. On the top of the wall there was a wooden parapet or palisade to protect the defenders . The oppidum was evacuated without a fight, as there was no evidence or evidence of conquest or destruction through combat.

The structure of the ring wall is wedge-shaped and hugs the topography of the Dollberg on which the ring wall was built. The main fortification of approx. 13 hectares is preceded by a rampart of approx. 5 hectares. The protection in the steep terrain in the south was provided by two wall walls of smaller dimensions (inner and main wall and rampart), as it was technically not possible to build a wall wall of 25 × 25 m (as in the flatter north) on the steep terrain.

present

View from the southern part of the wall over the Nonnweiler reservoir and Nonnweiler

The facility is open to the public all year round. However, it is not handicapped accessible. Two thematic information channels guide the visitor through the fortress:

  • An archaeological information trail (D, GB, F, NL) signposted in several languages leads to the most interesting locations of the fortification.
  • The European sculpture trail "Cerda & Celtoi" , inspired by Celtic art and culture, connects the modern art center of the European Academy Otzenhausen with the historical center "Hunnenring" with 18 sculptures.

Since 2015, the “International Otzenhausen Archaeological Days - Archeology in the Greater Region” have been held regularly in Otzenhausen. In 2016, the Otzenhausen Celtic Park was opened to the public at the foot of the ring wall. Here is a replica of a Celtic village based on the excavation findings. A museum is planned for 2020.

Research history

Excavations were carried out by:

  • 1883: Trier Provincial Museum
  • 1936–40: Rheinisches Landesmuseum Trier
  • 1999–2000: Initial project for the municipality of Nonnweiler and the European Academy in Otzenhausen
  • 2001–2012: Terrex gGmbH
  • since 2006: various campaigns by the University of Mainz
  • In 2010 the Roman camp Hermeskeil was discovered just a few kilometers away , which was built between 53 and 51 BC. Was built.

Documentation

  • Forgotten natural resources - the spurned legacy of the Celts in the Hunsrück. 2015, 30 min., SR television ( video on YouTube ).

literature

  • Reinhard Schindler : The ring wall of Otzenhausen. Leaflet 4, State Conservatory Office, Saarbrücken 1965.
  • Manfred Peter: The forgotten legacy. Burr Verlag Otzenhausen, Nonnweiler 1984.
Indutiomarus. The lord of the ring wall Otzenhausen. Burr Satz + Druck, Nonnweiler 2009, ISBN 978-3-9813149-1-5 .
  • Mathias Wiegert: The Hunnenring of Otzenhausen. The story of its exploration. Nonnweiler 1997
The "Hunnenring" of Otzenhausen, district of St. Wendel. The settlement finds and building structures of a late Latène Age fortification in the Saarland. VML Vlg Marie Leidorf, Espelkamp 2002, ISBN 3-89646-337-3 .
  • Thomas Fritsch: The "Hunnenring" near Otzenhausen. A guide to the testimonies from the Celtic and Roman times. , Rheinischer Verlag for monument preservation and landscape protection. In: Rheinische Kunststätten. No. 483, 2004, ISBN 3-88094-918-2 .
  • Robert Schuler: The land of the Celts around the Hunnenring of Otzenhausen . In: Association for local history Nonnweiler e. V .: Hochwälder booklets on local history. No. 40, 2000, ISBN 978-3-9806866-0-0 . various contributions to the Celts and Romans around the "Hunnenring".
  • Christof Müller: The secrets of the stone wall. The Hunnenring in Otzenhausen . In: Saarbrücker Zeitung (supplement “Heimat”) , 25./26. April 2009, p. G10
  • Michael Koch: Excavations on the Celtic ring wall "Hunnenring" in Otzenhausen. In: Annual report 2009 on the preservation of monuments (Saarbrücken 2010). ( Article at academia.edu )
  • Sabine Hornung : In the footsteps of Julius Caesar. The Roman military camp of Hermeskeil. In: Yearbook of the Trier-Saarburg District, 2018, 1–9.
  • Daniel Burger: The Gallo-Roman common temple "Auf dem Spätzrech" near Schwarzenbach (Saarland). Evaluation of the excavation 1984/85. In: Mensch und Umwelt II, From the oppidum "Hunnenring" near Otzenhausen to the Roman temple district and vicus "Auf dem Spätzrech" near Schwarzenbach Gem. Nonnweiler, district St. Wendel. University research on prehistoric archeology Volume 289, 137–2016 and 32 plates.

Web links

Commons : Ringwall von Otzenhausen  - More pictures

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Sabine Hornung: In the footsteps of Julius Caesar. The Roman military camp of Hermeskeil.
  2. ↑ Daniel Burger: The Gallo-Roman temple "Auf dem Spätzrech" near Schwarzenbach (Saarland). Evaluation of the excavation 1984/85
  3. ↑ Manfred Peter: Indutiomarus. The lord of the ring wall Otzenhausen. 2009, p. 79 f.
  4. ↑ Manfred Peter: Indutiomarus. The lord of the ring wall Otzenhausen. 2009, p. 29 f.
  5. ↑ Manfred Peter: Indutiomarus. The lord of the ring wall Otzenhausen. 2009, pp. 85 and 91, which is mainly based on Schindler, Kolling and Haffner.
  6. ↑ Forgotten natural resources. The despised legacy of the Celts in the Hunsrück. programm.ard.de, accessed on June 21, 2018 .