Schier, Wolfram (Ed.): Rondels revisited ; Recent research on Neolithic circular enclosures in Central Europe 5000–4500 cal. BC. Berliner Arch. Forsch. 21, Berlin 2023., 2023
This archaeological find-zone, located in the “Black Earth” fields of the cadastral municipalitie... more This archaeological find-zone, located in the “Black Earth” fields of the cadastral municipalities of Eggendorf am
Walde, Baierdorf, and Zemling at the eastern foot of the Manhartsberg in Lower Austria, has been known for about
100 years. Josef Höbarth carried out the first excavations at the site in the 1930s, and four pit inventories are kept
in the Höbarth Museum in the city of Horn; two of these (pits I and III) can be dated to the early Middle Neolithic.
There are also finds from the Bronze Age (Aunjetitz and Urnfield cultures), the Hallstatt and La Tène cultures,
and the early Middle Ages. However, the area was first used as a settlement area during the Linear Pottery culture.
The quantity and quality of the scattered finds justify classifying this Linear Pottery settlement among the “central
sites” or “large settlements” of the Linear Pottery horizon, which are characterised by a long settlement period, a
high proportion of foreign raw materials and other evidence of long-distance contacts, and possibly by enclosure
within ditches. In addition to Eggendorf in northern Danubian Lower Austria, these also include Asparn-Schletz,
Breiteneich, and Großrußbach-Weinsteig, which have been better researched, as well as Pulkau and Poysdorf, which
are known through small outcrops and/or collections. The Middle Neolithic settlement at Eggendorf seems to stand
out in comparison with other settlements due to, among other things, the number of idols or idol fragments found
there, which, significantly, seem to come from a feature that has been described as a “sacrificial pit”. The existence of
a rondel enclosure in the vicinity of the site was thus expected.
In the course of the systematic study of Middle Neolithic sites conducted by the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for
Archaeological Prospection and Virtual Archaeology (LBI ArchPro), geomagnetic prospection of the area of the
Neolithic settlements in the “Black Earth” fields of Eggendorf am Walde began in 2019. Already on the first day
of measurement, a circular ditch was detected, which has since been completely geomagnetically prospected. The
three-ditch rondel enclosure has a maximum diameter of about 120 m with four entrances that are rotated about 20
degrees counterclockwise from the main cardinal axes; only the northern entrance points roughly in the direction of
north-northwest. At least the innermost ditch is supplemented with a palisade.
To the west of the rondel enclosure, there is a roughly rectangular settlement area, likewise surrounded by a ditch.
Only its southern side follows the terrain, thus curving slightly to the west at the edge of the steeper incline leading to the
Gscheinzbach river, and thus the western side, which measures about 210 m, is about 80 m shorter than the eastern side.
The width on the north side is about 220 m, and the enclosed area covers about 5.7 ha. There are at least four entrances
to the interior, where linear structures – arranged in pairs and probably representing the ditches accompanying Neolithic
longhouses – can be seen. Other accompanying ditches are also recognisable outside the ditch quadrangle; only to the
north of this ditch there are no longer any clear house features. The investigations will be continued.
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Papers by David Ruß
Walde, Baierdorf, and Zemling at the eastern foot of the Manhartsberg in Lower Austria, has been known for about
100 years. Josef Höbarth carried out the first excavations at the site in the 1930s, and four pit inventories are kept
in the Höbarth Museum in the city of Horn; two of these (pits I and III) can be dated to the early Middle Neolithic.
There are also finds from the Bronze Age (Aunjetitz and Urnfield cultures), the Hallstatt and La Tène cultures,
and the early Middle Ages. However, the area was first used as a settlement area during the Linear Pottery culture.
The quantity and quality of the scattered finds justify classifying this Linear Pottery settlement among the “central
sites” or “large settlements” of the Linear Pottery horizon, which are characterised by a long settlement period, a
high proportion of foreign raw materials and other evidence of long-distance contacts, and possibly by enclosure
within ditches. In addition to Eggendorf in northern Danubian Lower Austria, these also include Asparn-Schletz,
Breiteneich, and Großrußbach-Weinsteig, which have been better researched, as well as Pulkau and Poysdorf, which
are known through small outcrops and/or collections. The Middle Neolithic settlement at Eggendorf seems to stand
out in comparison with other settlements due to, among other things, the number of idols or idol fragments found
there, which, significantly, seem to come from a feature that has been described as a “sacrificial pit”. The existence of
a rondel enclosure in the vicinity of the site was thus expected.
In the course of the systematic study of Middle Neolithic sites conducted by the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for
Archaeological Prospection and Virtual Archaeology (LBI ArchPro), geomagnetic prospection of the area of the
Neolithic settlements in the “Black Earth” fields of Eggendorf am Walde began in 2019. Already on the first day
of measurement, a circular ditch was detected, which has since been completely geomagnetically prospected. The
three-ditch rondel enclosure has a maximum diameter of about 120 m with four entrances that are rotated about 20
degrees counterclockwise from the main cardinal axes; only the northern entrance points roughly in the direction of
north-northwest. At least the innermost ditch is supplemented with a palisade.
To the west of the rondel enclosure, there is a roughly rectangular settlement area, likewise surrounded by a ditch.
Only its southern side follows the terrain, thus curving slightly to the west at the edge of the steeper incline leading to the
Gscheinzbach river, and thus the western side, which measures about 210 m, is about 80 m shorter than the eastern side.
The width on the north side is about 220 m, and the enclosed area covers about 5.7 ha. There are at least four entrances
to the interior, where linear structures – arranged in pairs and probably representing the ditches accompanying Neolithic
longhouses – can be seen. Other accompanying ditches are also recognisable outside the ditch quadrangle; only to the
north of this ditch there are no longer any clear house features. The investigations will be continued.
The present article gives the first detailed account on
three (only partly uncovered) cemeteries, excavated
at rescue digs during the last years. The first cemetery
was found in 2008 at Maissau-Haseneck, during construction
works for the Maissau bypass of the B4 state
road. The excavation uncovered the western and southern
limits of the burial ground only, its extension to
the north and east is presently unknown. The cemetery
comprised 47 interments in 46 grave pits. It is connected
to a settlement situated further south, on a southern
slope above the Weitenbach stream. This area was also
partly affected by the rescue dig. There are evidences
suggesting that some graves might have had burial
mounds over them. Another, quite surprising feature,
were two niche-graves, which are the westernmost representatives
of that grave type yet known. The grave
goods suggest connections to Moravia; besides a bearded
axe we want to mention a grave which yielded yellow
polished ware as well as lead crosses and lead beads.
The two other partly excavated cemeteries were found
near Mautern on the Danube (district Krems-Land). In
2011, during the construction of the Mautern bypass
road, 44 graves yielding 46 skeletons were excavated.
The cemetery had been situated on the edge of a terrace
overlooking the Danube floodplain. Some graves are
situated in the centre of circular ditches, while others
overlap these structures stratigraphically.
The last cemetery mentioned here was found in 2010,
again during construction works, this time for new electric
supply cables, in Mautern, St. Pöltnerstraße. The 52
grave pits comprising 54 burials, which were excavated
here, belong to a cemetery already known since the last
century. Remarkably, one of the graves contained a metallic
Gombik (spherical button).
Walde, Baierdorf, and Zemling at the eastern foot of the Manhartsberg in Lower Austria, has been known for about
100 years. Josef Höbarth carried out the first excavations at the site in the 1930s, and four pit inventories are kept
in the Höbarth Museum in the city of Horn; two of these (pits I and III) can be dated to the early Middle Neolithic.
There are also finds from the Bronze Age (Aunjetitz and Urnfield cultures), the Hallstatt and La Tène cultures,
and the early Middle Ages. However, the area was first used as a settlement area during the Linear Pottery culture.
The quantity and quality of the scattered finds justify classifying this Linear Pottery settlement among the “central
sites” or “large settlements” of the Linear Pottery horizon, which are characterised by a long settlement period, a
high proportion of foreign raw materials and other evidence of long-distance contacts, and possibly by enclosure
within ditches. In addition to Eggendorf in northern Danubian Lower Austria, these also include Asparn-Schletz,
Breiteneich, and Großrußbach-Weinsteig, which have been better researched, as well as Pulkau and Poysdorf, which
are known through small outcrops and/or collections. The Middle Neolithic settlement at Eggendorf seems to stand
out in comparison with other settlements due to, among other things, the number of idols or idol fragments found
there, which, significantly, seem to come from a feature that has been described as a “sacrificial pit”. The existence of
a rondel enclosure in the vicinity of the site was thus expected.
In the course of the systematic study of Middle Neolithic sites conducted by the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for
Archaeological Prospection and Virtual Archaeology (LBI ArchPro), geomagnetic prospection of the area of the
Neolithic settlements in the “Black Earth” fields of Eggendorf am Walde began in 2019. Already on the first day
of measurement, a circular ditch was detected, which has since been completely geomagnetically prospected. The
three-ditch rondel enclosure has a maximum diameter of about 120 m with four entrances that are rotated about 20
degrees counterclockwise from the main cardinal axes; only the northern entrance points roughly in the direction of
north-northwest. At least the innermost ditch is supplemented with a palisade.
To the west of the rondel enclosure, there is a roughly rectangular settlement area, likewise surrounded by a ditch.
Only its southern side follows the terrain, thus curving slightly to the west at the edge of the steeper incline leading to the
Gscheinzbach river, and thus the western side, which measures about 210 m, is about 80 m shorter than the eastern side.
The width on the north side is about 220 m, and the enclosed area covers about 5.7 ha. There are at least four entrances
to the interior, where linear structures – arranged in pairs and probably representing the ditches accompanying Neolithic
longhouses – can be seen. Other accompanying ditches are also recognisable outside the ditch quadrangle; only to the
north of this ditch there are no longer any clear house features. The investigations will be continued.
The present article gives the first detailed account on
three (only partly uncovered) cemeteries, excavated
at rescue digs during the last years. The first cemetery
was found in 2008 at Maissau-Haseneck, during construction
works for the Maissau bypass of the B4 state
road. The excavation uncovered the western and southern
limits of the burial ground only, its extension to
the north and east is presently unknown. The cemetery
comprised 47 interments in 46 grave pits. It is connected
to a settlement situated further south, on a southern
slope above the Weitenbach stream. This area was also
partly affected by the rescue dig. There are evidences
suggesting that some graves might have had burial
mounds over them. Another, quite surprising feature,
were two niche-graves, which are the westernmost representatives
of that grave type yet known. The grave
goods suggest connections to Moravia; besides a bearded
axe we want to mention a grave which yielded yellow
polished ware as well as lead crosses and lead beads.
The two other partly excavated cemeteries were found
near Mautern on the Danube (district Krems-Land). In
2011, during the construction of the Mautern bypass
road, 44 graves yielding 46 skeletons were excavated.
The cemetery had been situated on the edge of a terrace
overlooking the Danube floodplain. Some graves are
situated in the centre of circular ditches, while others
overlap these structures stratigraphically.
The last cemetery mentioned here was found in 2010,
again during construction works, this time for new electric
supply cables, in Mautern, St. Pöltnerstraße. The 52
grave pits comprising 54 burials, which were excavated
here, belong to a cemetery already known since the last
century. Remarkably, one of the graves contained a metallic
Gombik (spherical button).
° Nina Lau, Das Thorsberger Moor 1. Die Pferdegeschirre:
Germanische Zaumzeuge und Sattelgeschirre als Zeugnisse
kriegerischer Reiterei im mittel- und nordeuropäischen
Barbaricum. Verein zur Förderung des Archäologischen
Landesmuseums e.V., Schloss Gottorf, Schleswig 2014,
XIII+484 Seiten, 64 Farbtafeln, ISBN 978 -3-00-046354-9.
°Ruth Blankenfeldt, Das Thorsberger Moor 2. Die persönlichen
Ausrüstungen. Verein zur Förderung des Archäologischen
Landesmuseums e.V., Schloss Gottorf,
Schleswig 2015, XII+487 Seiten, 59 Farbtafeln, ISBN 978-
3-00-049372-0,
Archaeologica Austriaca 101, 357 - 365.
on the route of the Maissau by-pass:
(Areas “1-North” and 2 to 6) (Marco Kultus,
David Ruß and Oliver Schmitsberger)
Further areas were excavated in 2009 on the route of
the Maissau by-pass in continuation of the rescue excavations
(Maissau municipality, Horn district), which began in
2008. Numerous settlement contexts and burials were
encountered from the Linearbandkeramik, Mid- and Late
Neolithic, Early, Middle and Late Bronze Age and La Tène
periods. Among the most noteworthy discoveries were
burials in settlements from different periods, entire houses
and the deposition of animal carcasses, as well as part of
a Late Bronze Age cremation burial ground. The large portion
of a burial ground excavated in the area Ί -North’ dates
to the Early Medieval period (8th to 9th centuries). Large
parts of the route (in particular areas 3 and 4) had been
disturbed by recent earth movements however, leading in
some places to the destruction of all prehistoric contexts.
Translation: Paul M i t c h e l l