Die Troas in der Mittel- und Spätbronzezeit - FULLTEXT (original) (raw)

Die Mittelbronzezeit im Fokus: das interdisziplinäre Forschungsprojekt MAGIA

Archäologie Schweiz 43 (1), 2020

Die Mittelbronzezeit ist in der Schweiz bislang wenig erforscht. Ein interdisziplinäres Forschungsprojekt der Universität Basel und der Kantonsarchäologie Aargau nimmt diesen Zeitabschnitt nun in den Fokus und wertet eine grosse, neu entdeckte Siedlungsfundstelle dieser Epoche aus: Gränichen-Lochgasse (AG).

Eine "zyklopische" Steinbefestigung der Mittelbronzezeit

Bayerische Archäologie, 2022

High above the Danube. A "Cyclopean" stone fortification of the Middle Bronze Age on the Stätteberg near Oberhausen. Bayerische Archäologie 2022/4, 14-25. Since 2019 an international team of archaeologists is engaged in an ongoing excavation on the Stätteberg near Ingolstadt, Bavaria, a hardly known, huge fortification covering a total of 86 ha with a separate enclosure. It is one of the most spectacular fortifications of the European Bronze Age north of the Alps. A section of the “Cyclopean" wall, built of large limestone blocks and dating from around 1400 BC, that surrounds the acropolis was completely excavated this year. It is the earliest and largest of its kind north of the Alps. Similar walls protect the palace of the legendary kings of Mycenae. Two wall shells, originally about two metres high and made of massive limestone blocks, were filled with small stones and rammed earth. Massive wooden posts attached to the front and rear façades held this construction together and formed the foundation of a battlement built of wood. In a raging inferno, this wall was burnt down along its entire length at the beginning of the Late Bronze Age, after which the stronghold was probably razed to the ground following a successful siege and never repopulated. Our investigations show on the one hand, and this is a unique feature of the Stätteberg, that the large boulders of the wall were broken immediately in front of it. This is the oldest known stone quarry in Central Europe. Furthermore, our investigations this year have shown that a second older wall situated 25 metres in front of the large fortification was similarly constructed, although it was less thick. This wall was not destroyed by fire, but systematically quarried. Presumably, the stones of this older fortification, probably built around 1600 BC, were incorporated into the imposing Cyclopean wall during the later Middle Bronze Age. Excavations in the rear part of the wall have also yielded exciting results. In addition to pottery shards, animal bones were deposited there, which are the remains of meals, but possibly also evidence of sacrifices. If the latter assumption is true this may be linked to presence of a large sanctuary, a so-called burnt-offering place, on the highest point of the hill, where burnt animal sacrifices and crushed pottery were offered to divine powers. Human bones were also found, but it remains to be clarified whether these were siege victims or ritual deposits.