»Celtic Fields« and other prehistoric field systems in historical forests of Schleswig-Holstein from laser-scan dates

Abstract

The new close-meshed network of laser scanned levels in Schleswig-Holstein enables us to either re-discover or newly discover numerous prehistoric field systems in their full extent in ancient forests. It is demonstrated that »Celtic Fields« in their true sense appear in the forests of old moraines and shallower parts of young moraines whereas irregular »Bank-Senken-Feld« systems (IBSFs) rather occur in hilly landscapes of young moraines and can merge to terrace systems and »Celtic fields«. Except for the enclosure from Außelbek at Ülsby (Kr. Schleswig-Flensburg) dating to the period around the birth of Christ, the chronology of the other field systems remains unknown. It is indicated that in single cases they are overlain by ridges ands furrows of the Medieval type and occasionally associated with settlements of the pre-Roman Iron Age and the Earlier Roman Principate.