Celtic settlement excavation in southern Germany reveals hidden ancient treasures

Miami Herald has published an article featuring that archaeologists in southern Germany uncovered new insights into life at a 2,000-year-old Celtic fortress, shedding light on its role as a thriving trade hub. 

Their discoveries — including storage pits and a rare writing tool — offered a window into ancient life. The Celtic settlement, located near Altenburg and stretching across the meandering Rhine River, once flourished as a key trade hub. Rediscovered in the 1970s, its unique peninsulas, shaped like the yin-and-yang symbol, now lie divided between Germany and Switzerland.

After a hiatus of several decades, German archaeologists resumed excavations at the 2,000-year-old site in 2022 and have continued their work annually, according to a news release from the State Office for Monument Preservation at the Stuttgart Regional Council, dated November 26. This year, the focus of the excavation was on a section of the settlement near the fortification wall.

The team discovered multiple large storage pits, some as deep as 8 feet. These pits showed traces of organic material, indicating they were once used to store food, according to the archaeologists. Additionally, a larger rectangular storage building was uncovered, though no remains of houses were found.

Ancient Celtic fortresses, known as oppidum, were "constructed across Europe during the 2nd and 1st century B.C.," according to the World History Encyclopedia. These sites were strategically located at "naturally defensible points" and often featured fortification walls.

Celtic oppidum were not only residential but also had multiple functions: safeguarding valuable goods, collecting tributes or tolls from trade, serving as centers for "administration and justice," and facilitating the distribution of goods or hosting key production activities like metalworking and coin minting, according to the encyclopedia. At the fortress near Altenburg, excavations uncovered signs of the site’s ancient activities. Archaeologists found locally made and imported pottery, Celtic coins, personal items, cattle bones, and other artifacts.

By Naila Huseynova