Stesser Burg: A Multi-Period Hillfort near Meschede, Germany
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 3.8
- Popularity
- Very Low
- Country
- Germany
- Primary era
- Iron Age
- Eras represented
- Iron Age
- Civilizations
- Celtic
- Site type
- Military
- Remains
- Fort
On this page9 sections
History
Stesser Burg is a hillfort in Germany, located on the summit of the Stesser Burg mountain near Meschede. Its ringwall fortification dates originally to the Late Iron Age, with later phases of activity extending into the Early Middle Ages and the High and Late Middle Ages. The site was entered in the monument list of the city of Meschede in 1984.
Late Iron Age Settlement
An Iron Age ceramic sherd found in the rampart area first suggested that the fortification might have an early phase from that period. Detector prospecting in 2014, together with additional finds, established a Late Iron Age date for the ringwall. A relief-decorated arm-ring fragment from the third century BC supports the dating previously proposed by Philipp R. Hömberg.
A pale-gold three-whorl stater of the Bochum type, variant Roymans a, dates to the middle of the first century BC. A stater was an ancient coin denomination commonly made from gold or a gold alloy. Here, the pale-gold appearance reflects an alloy of gold, silver, and copper. The coin supports an interpretation of at least two centuries of settlement during the La Tène period, the later phase of the pre-Roman Iron Age in much of Central Europe, conventionally dated from approximately the fifth to the first century BC.
Early Medieval Occupation
A later occupation phase belongs to the Early Middle Ages, at the end of the seventh century. A gold equal-armed brooch and a gold Merovingian tremissis, together with metallurgical analyses, point to this period. A tremissis was a small late Roman and early medieval gold coin, usually valued at one-third of a solidus. Merovingian refers to the Frankish ruling dynasty and the cultural period associated with it before the Carolingian dynasty.
Medieval Settlement
Ceramic vessel fragments indicate a possible third settlement phase between the tenth and fourteenth centuries, during the High and Late Middle Ages. Rectangular rampart reliefs southeast of the fortification may have formed an outwork connected with this phase, although their function remains unconfirmed. The construction sequence and internal development of Stesser Burg remain incompletely understood because archaeological excavations have not been carried out.
Remains
Hilltop Fortification
Stesser Burg occupies a wooded mountain summit 326.7 metres above sea level, overlooking the Ruhr valley. It lies north of Stesse and Calle in the Kelbke valley and forms part of the 160.7-hectare Ruhr Valley near Laer nature reserve. The outer rampart surrounds the summit and encloses approximately 2.4 hectares. Terraces, additional ramparts, and ditches extend in front of the southern half of the fortification.
Internal Ramparts and Entrances
Four internal ramparts divide the enclosed area. The two southern examples are curved and may belong to an older construction phase. Digital terrain models suggest a possible western entrance corresponding to the present path access, as well as possible entrances at cuts in the northern and eastern ramparts. The materials and building techniques of the ramparts, along with the character of the internal buildings, cannot be determined without excavation.
Southeastern Outwork
Rectangular reliefs southeast of the ringwall may represent an outwork associated with the settlement phase of the High and Late Middle Ages. Their relationship to the main fortification and their precise function remain uncertain because they have not been investigated.
Recovered Objects
The recovered material spans several periods of activity. It includes an Iron Age ceramic sherd, a relief-decorated arm-ring fragment, and the pale-gold three-whorl stater from the Late Iron Age, followed by a gold equal-armed brooch and a Merovingian tremissis from the Early Middle Ages. Ceramic vessel fragments from the tenth to the fourteenth centuries represent the later medieval settlement phase.
