The 'Hunnenring' near Otzenhausen
The name "Hunnenring" (=Hunnic ring) was falsely given to the ring wall on
the Dollberg (620m) near Otzenhausen, which was actually constructed by the
Celts
of the Latène Age (475 to 20 B.C.). The walled area is large; the main wall
is a remarkable long 1,360 metres, with a further 850 metres for the wall
in front. More than 200,000 cubic metres of quarry stone were used in the
grounds, which, with dimensions of 647 m by 460 m, comprises an area of almost
19 hectares. The dimensions are truly impressive: to the north the main wall
is still 10 metres high with a base 40 metres thick. One must remember that
the quarry stones were once held together between a framework of timber poles
creating vertical walls that protected this urban settlement (Roman "Oppidum")
of Treverians from invaders. It is estimated that the northern wall
was 25m tall. The entrance was through the 6m wide west door, which was
divided by a central post into two identically sized entryways and was apparently
covered by a well-fortified wooden structure. In addition, protective walls
on either side added to the defences.
The grounds with the ring wall, still formidable in their dimensions, were
constructed in the first century B.C., that is in the late Latène Age. There
was probably a pre-existing fortress on the same location during the early
Latène Age (fifth century B.C.). Proof of this is in the richly equipped princely
tombs from this era, which were discovered in 1848 in Schwarzenbach,
a village at the foot of Dollberg. In fact, princely tombs and graves from
the early Latène Age were always within view of "their" fortress. The construction
of these extensive grounds and the engineering of a simply designed rampart
in front of the main ring wall allows us to imagine a steadily growing, fortified
settlement where people in the surrounding areas could bring their livestock
to safety in times of crisis. The well used for water supply still exists
in the inner area. It gave enough water to assure that even longer sieges
could be withstood. There is also evidence of a storehouse.
It is assumed that the fortress on Dollberg was the ancestral seat of an ancient
Celtic dynasty and was probably the centre of power for the Treverians in
this region. We are told in Julius Caesar's accounts of the "Gallic Wars"
that it was the Celtic prince Indutiomarus who, in the year 80 B.C.,
began building the fortress area on Dollberg (De Bello Gallico: Book V, 3-4).
This was originally planned as protection from the Germanic tribes (Cimbri,
Teutons, Suebs and Alemanni), but soon became the focus of resistance to the
Romans in a coalition with two other tribes of Treverians (the Latin name
"Treverians" arose from this threefold coalition, "tre" meaning three). The
battles with Caesar ended with the defeat of the Celts and the death of
Indutiomarus in the year 54 B.C. (De Bello Gallico: Book V, 56-58).
That same year, the family of Indutiomarus left the fortress on Dollberg.
Afterwards, the fortress remained uninhabited and gradually became dilapidated.
A small, solitary temple from the 2nd century B.C. leads one to assume that
Dollberg was also used in
Roman
times as a shrine, but one without any great significance.
Similar places, but of much smaller dimensions, can be found at the
Ringskopf,
at the
Alteburg,
and at the Wildenburger Kopf near Kempfeld. An even bigger urban settlement
of this sort is located on the Donnersberg (687m) in Palatinate. Here there
used to be a Celtic fortification of the Latène-Age, enclosed by an 8.5km
long ring wall system including animal pastures. With 240 hectares of floor
space and an area of 1700m by 1400m this year-round inhabited settlement
was the third biggest Oppidum in the whole of Middle Europe. It is worth including
a visit to the "Hunnenring" and making a round trip. For instance from Züsch,
a small village Northeast of the Dollberg, as your starting point you could
hike to the ring wall system, and return via the Primstal reservoir. Its
shores lead you comfortably back to the starting point (Drinking water supply!
Swimming prohibited!).