Heidetrank Oppidum
The Heidetränk - oppidum at Oberursel im Taunus is one of the Europe's most important Celtic settlement. It is located on the slopes of Urselbachtals, which is also known as Heidetränktal.
The plant
The Heidetränk - oppidum extends with its ring walls over two mountain ridges, the northeast of the Heidetränktals located 492 meter high gold mine, as well as the Altenhoefe to 575 meters above sea level. Overall, the system has an area of about 130 hectares.
Today, especially the elongated circular walls on the gold mine are clearly visible for the visitor. They are the remnants of dry stone walls, which served to protect the city from invaders. The outer Umfassungswall consisted of a 4 to 5 feet high and equally wide slot wall post, as proved by excavation trenches at the end of the 19th century. Access to the settlement was effected by forceps doors on different sides of the wall. Be seen particularly clearly in the forest on the basis of soil surveys are still the southeastern and northeastern pincer gate. Overall, the Heidetränk - oppidum had six such gates.
Are archaeologically proven except the ring walls about 160 so-called " living podiums ", terracing on which probably stood houses. In one of his excavations at the end of the 19th century, Christian Ludwig Thomas found post holes, hearths, and remains of various equipment here.
Temporal classification
Finds a smaller settlement on the gold mine date back to the 3rd century BC. Only with the development of the end of the 2nd century BC, however, was the actual oppidum with the areal size of a city.
In the middle of the 1st century BC, the Heidetränk - oppidum lost its importance. It was long since abandoned when the Romans later occupied parts of Hesse.
The heyday of Heidetränk - oppidum thus falls in the late La Tène period. It is so much younger than the nearby plants from Altkönig (5th / 4th century BC ) and the Bleibeskopf ( 8th century BC).
Archaeological finds
The archaeological finds from the Heidetränk - oppidum to include a device for field and garden work: for example, iron plowshares, sickle knives, hoes and scythe blades. Furthermore, they found tools that show a pronounced craft, also Celtic coins, especially the so-called " Nauheim Quinar " which was probably coined in the oppidum itself.
The majority of the finds is now in Vortaunus Museum in Oberursel.
In May 2011 it was agreed with the State Archaeological Collection in Munich in a comparison that a found by grave robbers in Heidetränk - oppidum treasure is shared with 349 Celtic silver coins. The owner of the settlement, the Hohemark Association of Towns Bad Vilbel and Frankfurt, will receive half of the coins in the original and gets out of the coins of the second half of one copy. In Munich, the same conditions are created so that both collections can present the treasure completely. Bad Vilbel has now sold its share of the Fund to the city of Frankfurt am Main. As of 22 June 2011, the Treasury will be shown in the Archaeological Museum.
Rundwanderweg
An archaeological circular route with detailed, multilingual display boards via the gold mine located on the part of the settlement. It begins at the footbridge near the terminus of the Frankfurt U -Bahn line 3 Oberursel / Hohe Mark.