Alterations at the ditches of the Michelsberg earthwork from Bruchsal »Aue« (Lkr. Karlsruhe) – preliminary report considering the analysis

Abstract

The documentation of the almost completely examined Michelsberg earthwork from Bruchsal »Aue« gives evidence of numerous alterations and ditch phases. The double ditches were not only interrupted by the 15 gates which were established in the first planum, but in earlier times also at several places which were removed later. The outer ditch shows two to three phases, which were dug out above and next to each other. A transverse ditch was added to the outer ditch of the second phase. The identification of the pottery shows remainders of shapes of the periods MK I/II, II early, II classical and II late on the floor of the inner and outer ditch. This might indicate several phases of usage, which so far cannot be distinguished from each other. On the floor, there were mainly MK III-shapes, whereas in the upper layers partly belonging to the third ditch phase, MK IV-shapes were found. The transverse ditch also contained MK IV-pottery. In the upper layers of the inner ditch, strata of waste with MK III- and very few MK IV-pottery fragments were discovered.