Oppidum Ãœetliberg

The oppidum Uetliberg was on the summit plateau of Mount Uetliberg Zurich House, in the field of Swiss Stallikon. Instead of the term oppidum the definition used a Celtic princely seat with village -like settlement and fortification, fortified refuge or the late Hallstatt settlement amount in the general literature sometimes.

• 4.1 individual finds
• 4.2 settlement area
• 4.3 livestock
• 4.4 Remote network of paths ( Karrgeleise )

Topography

The fortified settlement area extended probably from the south-eastern end of the summit plateau, Uto Kulm (873 m above sea level. M. ), called to the westerly elevation plateau Aegerten ( 859 m above sea level. M. ) and the terrain in the west adjacent today SZU mountain station (820 m above sea level. M. ) Uetliberg. The largest expansion of the western slopes of the Uetliberg located, secured by a roughly 2 -mile-wide wall system area is about 1.5 km in a northwest-southeast.

Among the witnesses are still clearly visible from the 5th century BC belong to the scale in the early La Tène period prince grave hill Sonnenbühl (795 m above sea level. M. ) and the imposing remains of an extensive Wall Systems ( 659 m above sea level. M. ) from the Early iron or Hallstatt period.

Settlement history

Early History

Whether the Celtic word Udt is eponymous for woman for today's designation Uetliberg, needs to be clarified; the so-called prince grave hill Sonnenbühl at least, was the final resting place of a woman.

Incompetent Fund fuse in the 19th century, due to erosion and brisk construction activity located on the summit plateau in front of a few contiguous Fund and cultural layers. In contrast, occupy about 60,000 artifacts from archaeological excavations that the summit plateau of Uetliberg national significance must have had at least since Neolithic times. The oldest known individual finds are likely to be 6,000 years old and come from the Neolithic period; first permanent settlement traces in the Late Bronze Age (11th century BC) and dated early Iron Age.

La Tène period

The ramparts are indicative of a first attachment of the summit plateau Uto Kulm and the pre- busi ness ( SZU hill station and Aegerten ) in the 5th. Century BC by Celtic Helvetii. In particular, the visible residues and the original dimensions of the wall system are impressive: (. 684 m asl ) Starting from today SZU station Ringlikon three ramparts were uphill created, of which the railway line and walking along the remains of 14 meters and 35 meters depth can be seen. The Wall System secured the entire width of the comparatively shallow rising in the west and the Uetliberg was nearly 2000 feet wide. The second Wall paved the summit area west upstream Aegerten Plateau, the location of the television tower in Uetliberg of Swisscom, the third Wall secured the summit plateau Uto Kulm. This imposing, deep- tiered wall system well protected until the first century BC, the Celtic oppidum at the top of Uetliberg mountain. To the east and west and probably also in the south of the summit plateau more Wall systems are unlikely due to the partially steep terrain. So far it would allow the largely destroyed cultural layers, so far two rather small village-like settlements could be detected archaeologically on the summit plateau.

Roman period and the Middle Ages

By 15 BC, after the conquest by Drusus and his brother Tiberius, both stepsons of Augustus, the area was on the left bank of Lake Zurich in the border area of the Roman provinces of Raetia and Germania superior. A watchtower with hideaway on top of the Uetliberg - to secure the customs point and later located on the Lindenhof fort at the vicus Turicum ( Zurich ) - probably had to advance the strategic Alamanni in the Roman province of Germania superior respectively Gallia Belgica importance. It is considered very likely that the summit plateau, after the departure of the Romans to the north from the areas of the Alps, for that have established themselves in the northern territory of Switzerland Alemanni, Carolingian and Ottonian (Pfalz on the Lindenhof ) may have had a similar importance.

Below the hotel Uto Kulm, on the summit plateau of Uetliberg, where the medieval Uetliburg stood, remnants of the inner wall system can be seen. When the hotel the last remnants of the former castle were destroyed. In the early modern period was on the Uto Kulm a Hochwacht (ca. 1620-1812 ) and the extant remains of the medieval Uetliburg disappeared or been removed.

Archaeological exploration

First excavations and soundings in the area of the summit plateau were made from 1836 to 1839 during the construction of the inn and spa facility Uetliberg and again in 1866 by Ferdinand Keller. A burial ground dating from the 5th century BC, was destroyed in 1874 during the construction of SZU mountain station. Then came, for example, in 1874 the construction of the Uetlibergbahn and 1901 with the widening of the railway track repeated a large number of individual objects as well as the remains of walls and the already mentioned upstream protective wall of the medieval Uetliburg evident. Further excavations were carried out 1958/59.

In 1978, on the Uetliberg began a new stage of excavation activity, the summit plateau was up in 1989 by the Kantonsarchäologie Zurich due to extensive construction work - systematically re- explored and excavated the remaining defensive wall of the medieval Uetliburg - 1990 Opening of the new observation tower, the extended restaurants and hotels Uto Kulm and preserved.

Findings

Individual finds

The approximately 60,000 archaeological finds include two stone axes and a Hirschhornaxt from the Neolithic period and chisel, the head of a three-node needle, a razor handle, broncene Collier tube and a handle fragment of a derived from the Greek room wine mixing vessel ( Uto Kulm ) from the 10th century. BC Additional individual findings is a Celtic Potin Coin, which is believed to have been coined in the oppidum, and fragments of Attic black-figure - ceramics. In the rubble of the prince grave hill there were artfully crafted gold disc brooches and a gold rosette, which are open to the public as exhibits at the Swiss National Museum in Zurich.

From the early phase of the Late Bronze Age or Urnfield derived ceramic remnants of the 1983 investigation carried out of the castle grave area north of the Uto - Kulm were found in the context, including the fragments of the upper part of an approximately 80-cm high and richly decorated with grooves and zigzag lines cylinder neck vessel from the 11th century v. Chr ( Hallstatt period level A2). In 1916 was discovered in the same locality by a woodsman a so-called medium-sized Schaftlappenbeil.

Settlement area

On the western slopes of the Uetliberg, where the barons of Sellenbüren probably built in the 10th century on the Ofengüpf their wooden castle, the remains of a Bronze Age settlement were discovered in 1950 /51. A second settlement was located further west, on the summit plateau, which could also have served as a refuge for the population of the surrounding area.

Finds and find circumstances indicate that the settlement area of the summit plateau Uto Kulm was measured from the southeastern spur about 150 feet long, that is 40 meters longer than it is today, and about 60 meters wide. A composite depends cultural layer can be only approximately determined, in particular as a result of construction activity since the beginning of the 19th century and probably some rockfalls - the last major was on 8 May 2004 in the case grapeshot - the summit plateau consisting of molasses and Nagelfluh Uetliberg since its first settlement have significantly reduced.

In the third phase of the Late Bronze Age urn field culture, or is likely to have existed here a village-like settlement. The house construction were probably built the plateau edges along. Were recorded during the excavations (1980 ) on the steep northeast slope one about six feet long and four meters wide to house as well as north and south of the edge parts of two other houses. The building was about 30 inches deep dug, presumably to gain enough space for a wooden floor construction. Individual soil depressions seem to testify to post constructions, small closely spaced pile holes are indicative of inner walls of lehmbestrichenm wattle. The sunken building of two of the houses were each filled with up to 30 centimeters thick, rich, black culture layer and in places densely interspersed with fragments of pottery and animal bone remains. The majority of the pottery belongs to the so-called Hallstatt B1 (10th century BC), with fragments of large storage vessels, cooking pots, drinking cups, but also of bowls, cups and plates. Punctures and grooves and incisions and bone white deposits decorated a large part of the harness.

Since similar findings by Ferdinand Keller's reports were in 1836 found on the Uto Kulm and in the late autumn of 1866 on the northern spur of the Aegerten plateau, it may be assumed that the settlement or by a Wall Trench attachment below the summit plateau and very likely was secured by a second, far advanced defense system, in place of the later Western main Wall (ca. 5th century BC) upslope of today's railway station Ringlikon arose. During the excavations of 1981/82 at the mountain side slope of a deep trench was approximately 35 meters north of this locality, probed, from the above the eastern mountain slope traces are available. It is likely to have acted in this case to the members of the Late Bronze Age fortification moat, whose excavation seems to have been used as building material for the mountain -side, south of Wall wall created respectively for the medieval Uetliburg on the summit plateau.

Livestock

The former livestock was determined from the animal bones from 1980 and 1981. On pets: Domestic cattle 47.6 %, goat and / or sheep 18.2%, 33.6 % domestic pig, dog and horse 0.4 % 0.2%. In wildlife: wild boar ( three bones ), hare and red deer (one bone ). The domestic cattle may have had a height at the withers of about 1.25 meters. The domestic pig remains - jaw and canines - suggest breeding boars. The dogs had a height at the withers of about 50 centimeters and the small horse of about 1.25 meters.

Remote network of paths ( Karrgeleise )

Noteworthy are called Karrgeleise ( Geleisestrasse ), who found themselves on Uto Kulm under fillings of the 13th century, and are indicative of a well-developed network of roads for long-distance trade. Your track width of 1.1 meters could refer to the Celtic period, but also a medieval origin is conceivable: On the rise of Albisrieden Üetliberg to the forest floor by numerous ravines is furrowed. Particularly close are such traces in a several hundred meter wide trail system between Albisrieden and Hueb. In Ringlikon various other ravines rise parallel to the Üetliberg to go. The track field extends over the entire width of the relatively gently sloping ridge between the Waldegg and the mountain station of the Uetliberg railway. The sunken road system covers practically the whole of the northern ridge of the Uetliberg.

References to other localities

A correlation of the hillfort ( Acropolis ) on the Uetliberg with the researched since 1997 oppidum Lindenhof from the 1st century BC, may be suspected. Both settlements do not seem to belong to the twelve described in Swiss territory in Caesar's De bello Gallico oppida, but may have been of national importance.

A conveyance in the course of the Gallic War, respectively dating of the history of settlement at the time around is yet to be resolved.