2200 years ago, near here

today: a drive into the past, to a place near here. about 2200 years ago, a Celtic tribe settled in an area of the Alb plateau. the area is sheltered by steep natural Karst-stone walls on two sides. the Celtic tribe picked up on the natural structure, and combined it with a protective barriere that formed a ring around their settlement. the remains of this ring are still there, and there's a walkway leading along it. to go full circle would take about 5-6 hours. "Oppidum" the structure was called by the Romans later: a city-like settlement. you get an idea of the size of it from the slopes on both side of the road. (and of course, i first drove past it, as i didn't know what i was actually supposed to look for, and as the road itself cuts through the ring.)

here's another photo, from the other end of the area:



the trees grow along the protective ring, and there is a path on the top. it felt special to walk there, and to imagine that people walked along the same path since hundreds and thousands of years ago.



there's not much left of the settlement itself, as the houses were made of wood. but just a mile further is a field of "Hügelgräber" - "mound graves":



again, if you don't know they are there, or if you are not sure where to look for, it's easy to miss them when driving by. actually, i think i drove past this place before once, without knowing anything about the history. the thing is, there is not one huge main "memorial site" of the Celtic time, but lots of smaller places where relicts or other marks have been found. in some places, there are small museums with permanent exhibitions, but you have to search for them. this year will be different, though: all Celts-related places in this region are joining in the "Keltenjahr" - "The Celtic Year", with a large exhibition in Stuttgart, the capital of the region.

i think i will "follow the trail" for a while and explore more or the smaller places in this region i am living in. it's a theme that also seems to unfold by itself this year in many layers - here's a reflection with notes about it: A sense of place in time.

PS:
there is a German wiki page about the settlement: wiki/Heidengraben. and of course, there is an extensive page about the Celts - "Kelten", they are called in German. here's the English page: more about the Celts.