Celtic village reconstruction ()
Celtic sites seem to be everywhere in pre-Roman Europe. From Ireland to Austria, their archaeology is dotted across multiple landscapes. Archaeologists debate their origins, however. Pottery and art styles seem to suggest a spreading of culture westward from eastern Germanic areas like Hallstatt, Austria. However, recent DNA and language studies point to an origin from Atlantic coastal communities in Ireland, Britain, France and Spain. Either way, the Celts are not considered a single people group. Instead, they represent a variety of Iron Age cultures that shared a base language: Celtic, or Gallic, or Gaelic depending on its iteration. By the time of the Romans, from whom most of our information comes, Celtic-speaking people had a wide network of towns and trade across Germanic Europe and the British Isles. After the Roman Empire crumbled, Celtic languages were only left along its former fringes in places like Scotland and Ireland.
Parts of Germany were at the heart of Celtic-language lands, and it was one of the areas that saw a lot of Roman interaction. Today, numerous small sites dot the country. Many are part of non-profit archaeological clubs or local history museums. The www.verein-keltenwelten.de website is a national association of Celtic sites and maintains a great directory of locations. You can also find Celtic heritage sites near you by typing “Keltisches” into Google Maps.
Here are a few of the larger Celtic sites in the area:
Eberdingen-Hochdorf (near Stuttgart).
The highlight of this Keltenmuseum is the contents and reconstruction of a local Celtic prince’s richly furnished burial mound. There is also a living history farmstead with weekend experiences like yarn-dying, metalwork and weaving.
Otzenhausen (near Baumholder).
A recreated, walled Celtic village sits at the base of the Dollberg mountain where a massive Celtic fortress stood 2,000 years ago. You can hike the old fortress wall and visit the living-history village to see demonstrations of life and skills during its Celtic heyday.
There are 18 stations along the 39km Altmühltal cycle path with reconstructions of Celtic city gates, houses and burial mounds. QR codes at the stops provide an immersive experience. There are also Neandertal relics and caves to explore.
Rodenbach (near Kaiserslautern).
At the edge of town is a Celtic burial mound from around 400 B.C. You can enter a reconstruction of the central chamber where a replica burial and expensive grave goods are on display. The gold jewelry, iron weapons and bronze vessels led people to call this the “Prince’s grave of Rodenbach.”
Heuneburg (south Baden-Württemberg).
A recreated Celtic town and nearby museum show off this thriving 4th century B.C. economic power center. Walk through the houses, check out the crafting demonstrations and admire the extensive burial mounds on the archaeological trail.
