The Goloring
An
iron-temporal sanctum of the Henge character in the Koberner Forrest
(Administrative district Koblenz).
By
Josef
Röder
On the border between the Kobern
and the Bassenheim forest (both places administrative district
Koblenz), to the north of
main road "Koblenz - Mayen -
Trier", between the points 314.21 and 325.0 stretches parallel to the road
at about level height about 100 grave-mounds, a comprehensive
grave-mound field with a longitudinal extension from west to east of about a
kilometer. The spread of the grave-mounds extends
across the street to the south only in the western part. It is
there, where the otherwise west to east running height sends out a fork to
the south which carries a known earth's wall (fig. 1) known among the population as
the Goloring. The graves
extend up to this area. Most likely they lined both sides of an old street which
probably ran in parallel but north of today's main road, and, which
today is the route of the highway. About 50 hills of the graveyard fell victim to
the construction of the highway. Therefore, their previous investigation was an
urgent monument-nursing necessity. The
excavation began in the spring of 1939 and was preceded by measurements of the graveyard, which were carried out by council B. Wohlgemuth by
the Rhineland museum of Bonn under the direction of Dr. W. Rest and under
assistance by A. Herrnbrodt. At the same time B. Wohlgemuth
conducted a measurement of the Goloring.
Documentation of the grave
field date back to the early urnfield culture and continues until the youngest
urnfield culture, the Laufelder
group, and extends to the older and younger
Hunsrück Eifel culture continuously [a
brief relevant history can be found here]. The graves of the urnfield culture and
the Laufelder group often contain big Dolien [vessels usually
used for wine] as urns and numerous associated
vessels; they are almost always fitted with a stone protection for the vessels.
The skeleton funerals of the Hunsrück Eifel culture are typically laid down in
west-eastern arranged grave pits and are characterized by the variety
grave protection items and dead person's cult. One
can find near circular grave or hills with circular posts; both are found in the one and same
area.
Repeatedly, sunken in wood posts were observed on top of the burial site near
the grave pit. One can find in the north and
north-west edge of the graveyard some Roman-temporal grave
arrangements, which have not yet been examined. Besides there are the so-called
grave gardens, i.e. square level areas or grave districts with a low hill overcast, which are surround by a wide ditch outside the embankments. In one
case, in the northwest edge of the cemetery, four such districts are situated
side by side, in the north edge a there is only a single one.
Over the last decade,
findings of prehistorical grave construction, i.e. discovering circle, long
ditch and palisade hills as well as single grave posts, made by employees of the
land museums of Bonn and Trier have shown over and over again that the
prehistorical grave construction of the Rhine province is similar to those found
from Holland and Westphalia to the English round hills.
Finally, in 1941 in Urmitz (Landkr. Koblenz) one was able to uncover a
circular embankment hill. The examination of the Goloring had already been planned
by W. Rest in the course of the excavation of the Bassenheim graveyard in
1939, then was put back, however, because of urgent other works.
This excavation, however, promised to put on the crown to these
investigations, in so far as to judge here, already by the whole arrangement
which seemed to be the first continental counterexample to the big English Henge
monuments whose relationship with the grave construction of the areas described
on top was proved above all by van Giffen in a series of publications.
In summer and autumn, 1942
the investigation was carried out with the help of some workers by the Rhine land museum. I would like to thank the state forest office and
especially Mr. district forester Wetter (from Kobern), who left it up to my
judgment, to arrange the requirements of the excavation harmoniously with the
interests of the forest management - the whole area of the Goloring is overgrown
with low oak and beech forest. Nevertheless, thus, the most important works could
be carried out within the most delicate forest plantation area of the wood. The
sometimes confusing line cuts in the interior best testify under what
difficulties these two demands were balanced.
I emphasize here the
detailed portrayal of the excavation findings. The cultural-historical
considerations laid down in the part II are held intentionally very sketchy. It
is not yet appropriate to address the basic origin of the Henge monuments and
with it the cultural character related to the gravestones.
I had only limited access to the extensive English literature, which was
not enough to follow many essential questions with sufficient thoroughness.
General description:
The
Goloring consists of a perfectly circular ditch of about 175 ms of diameter, which
is surrounded by an outside embankment of 190 ms of diameter. In the interior
rises even without excavation as an artificial, roughly perfectly circular
earth platform recognizable piled up to about 1-1,50-m height above the normal
surface. The ideal center of embankment and ditch, and that to the earth
platform lie about 10 ms apart, however, one may not rely absolutely on such a
statement due to the geometrical curvature of both and will have to look at both
as absolutely concentric to each other. The map as well as three profiles of the whole arrangement
make a detailed description here unnecessary, which is to follow later.
However, all vertical measurements are drawn in strong superelevation, which
substantially exaggerate the height differences. The earth platform is almost
table-level in the north, bends in her southern direction somewhat towards the south.
Embankment and ditch are still everywhere well preserved and well
delineated. In a sector between the
east and northeast, however, both are strongly abraded in recent time as a result of
bigger clearings of older forest supplies and new cultivations by spruces; but,
nevertheless, are still clearly distinctive. For closer information about width and height or
depth of the embankment and ditch see below. Embankment and ditch have three
interruptions: two narrow passageways in the north and the south and a wide, 40
ms long interruption of embankment and ditch in the west. The north entrance is
of younger date. The north part of the embankment has served at three places as
a gravel pit, however, the base of the embankment is still preserved everywhere, so that there
is no doubt about the fact that the embankment ran through in the north
everywhere unanimously and the same one is also true for to the ditch. Here,
where today the way cuts embankment and ditch, the ditch was filled up
afterwards just up to the size of the road with the gravel, which one presumably
took from the embankment. A trial cut showed that here formerly there was no
bridging of the ditch. Instead, embankment and ditch were
completely missing in the wide west entrance. The northern embankment head is especially mighty and well
built, while the southern one begins almost indiscernibly. Tangential from
southeast on this entrance a sloping excavation is recognizable, which is
probably artificial and becomes well apparent on a distance of 95 ms, but then
vanishes.
At the foot of this
excavation about 4-5 m wide terraces-shaped landing becomes apparent, which
possibly indicates an old path, but can only be pursued for a short distance and
then disappears in the forest. The south entrance consists of a ditch bridge of
about 1.80-m top width, which extends to a passage before the embankment of about 2.50 ms between the
foot of both embankment heads. The presumption of an old entrance seemed likely
from the start. In the southeast, water stands with longer rain periods in the
ditch.
The Goloring extends to
the whole width of a gentle elevation which rises towards the north to the close by hill range
of the Bassenheimer forest, but also extends towards the east, southeast and the south
where it drops gently (on 10 ms 1 m) until there is a stronger decline, which begins
only far beyond the Goloring. Merely in the southwest the declination is a little more
precipitous with about 2 ms on 10 ms. The area is in no way suitable for a defensive
arrangement, and also the decline in the
southwest is still too level for it. Because the plateau has the shape of a dull
triangle with the point directed towards south, the area was not well suited for
an arrangement of a perfectly circular ditch of such significant magnitude, and
thus one could not maintain the same elevation for the whole arrangement, but
had to arrange a slight slope down in the southwest.
The perfectly circular form is to such an extent part of the monument
that those who constructed it accepted unfavorable area relations to reach this
figure. If one had arranged the embankment on this side possibly by height of
319-m isohypse, one could have overlooked the whole arrangement of every point,
then, in addition, the embankment would have been situated on the edge of the
plateau directly before the slope. There must have been quite significant
reasons for the constructors of the arrangement to choose such an unfavorable
position for a defense in favor and not extending the embankment.
If we turn to the
construction of the Goloring in detail, we must realize here that almost
everything was done to weaken any possible defensive value of the arrangement.
Foremost to mention is the outside embankment. This extends the distance to be
defended by a substantial margin when compared with an inside embankment. In
addition, because the material for the embankment is obtained evidently from the
ditch excavation, a lot of higher inside embankment would have been achieved
with the same material, which would have offered the advantage of the internal
line. Because the interior of the Goloring is level behind the ditch in the
north, the east and southeast and rises only in the southwest, an attacker who
succeeded in climbing the embankment would have attained a higher state towards
the people who were in the interior. He would have been able see the interior
and projectiles, lances, spears or also arrows just by the higher state would
have had bigger throw width.
In typical defensive
arrangements one tries to arrange the opposite by positioning the ditch before
the embankment, which removes the advantages from the attacker. In addition,
there is no defensive value to the embankment due to its low height – even if
considering a larger erosion. One could imagine of course that the defender
behind a parapet or surrounded by a wall, which could have been built using the
ground material available here, gravel, loam, sand, but only with the help of a
strong encasing. Only an excavation
could solve this hypothesis. The excavation proved that the embankment was as it is
found today, subtracted by slight erosion, thus is preserved in such a way as it was
piled up, and there is no evidence of a parapet. The outside embankment stressed
the non-fortification character of the arrangement in an especially evident
manner. The same argument can be
build on the 40 m long interruption on the west side which could not have been
defended in the case of emergency. For a military arrangement the adaptation to
the natural circumstances and its exploitation is critical and determines the
final arrangement itself. In
contrast, the central issue of construction here were the perfectly circular
form and the concentric construction of ditch and earth platform in the middle.
Also the earth platform
has no fortification character. Its tremendously laborious construction,
evidently only for the purpose to produce a level surface, would have been
extremely awkwardly and time consuming for residential purposes.
Based on these
considerations, which were even evident before the excavation, purely from the
precise consideration of the arrangement, one was able to foresee an interesting
problem, the tasks and questions, which the excavation had to address. In the
embankment cuts one had to clarify whether there was any fortification value of
the embankments. In addition, one could expect connected fortifications in the
internal edge. The construction of the earth platform had to be cleared and the
whole interior had to be examined for residential tracks. Finally, the entrances
had to be included in the investigation.
Goloring, Suhle, profile, 1 : 150,
Cut I:
Cut I is a several times
broken cut due to the stock of trees, by embankment and ditch of generally
1.50-m width, which was carried out everywhere down to the level of the grown reddish gravel. There
were no tracks of postholes or other trenches in the grown ground. They also did
not appear in the profiles as well as in the leveled embankment elevation dug up
in layers within the cut. The same negative findings also recurred with the
other embankment cuts, so that a wooden casing did not formerly hold the
embankment together and the well-studied construction mode of the embankment
excludes this possibility in itself. A
detailed profile description will be provided here because of the importance of
this question. There was no confusion about the distinction between grown ground
and old surface due to the discolorations contrasted in all cuts.
The profile showed very
clearly the recumbent reddish-yellow gravel into which the ditch cuts in. In the
area of the embankment this clear gravel is infiltrated by a stripe humus gravel
mixture, which turns to old humus cover and the old surface at the bottom of the
elevation of the embankment, which was layered upwards as a dark tape rather
clearly. From the beginning of the excavations, the embankment itself was found
to consist above the old surface on the inside of only relatively minor, gravel
mixed (hence, lightened) earth deposits of humus and humus-infiltrated gravel.
Moreover, the humus layer from the ditch area is piled up on the outside
of the embankment such that now and then on can observe an area of brighter
gravel.
Pure gravel obtained from
the ditch was mounted at an angle to
this outside embankment on top of the humus. Occasionally, layers of dirtied
gravel can be observed in the earth deposits at an angle obtained from the
ditch, which make the sloping depositions from the inside especially clear. The
embankment is covered by a newly formed humus, which infiltrated in the layers
underneath gravel and resulted in a darker coloring in about 20 m wide zone. It
is this the same appearance, which we already observed under the old surface,
and which can be observed as a result of a normal layer of piled up grounds.
Cut II
Cut II shows the reverse
relation. The ditch there seems to have delivered even more earth than the
immediately adjacent embankment includes. One can observe this somewhat
irregular elevation of the embankment everywhere in the Goloring. The
infiltration of the ditch exists at the bottom with a thick layer
humus-infiltrated gravel, by mud filling, and by a relatively large humus layer.
Cut II across embankment
and ditch in the direction of northeast of the Goloring. Here the grown ground
consists of a deep brown loam with few sand admixtures and occasional
intercalations of small gravel stripes. Nevertheless, under the influence of the
water the loam fades to almost whitish color. Thus are also the white, bag-like,
bright indentations. These are no postholes or similar archaeological findings
in the ground. On top of the loam under the embankment there lies one more layer
of gray Trachyttuff, which is covered then from just 5 cms of humus cover, the
old surface. Under the Trachyttuff the loam has faded in an only few centimeters
wide stripe. The embankment itself
extends even today to the highest height of 0.90 ms above the old surface. Its
width amounts to 7.50 ms. at its external edge we observe a deposition of gray
humus mixed with Trachyttuff at the cross section embankment, which probably
comes from the former surface of the ditch. As in cut I the moved ground has
been thrown here first farthest outwardly. This follows the tan, sandy loam from
the ditch which infiltrates under the humus cover again in a wide stripe humus
or, and especially in the inside has faded to a great extent. In the inside of
the embankment a sloping deposit of red gravel became apparent which is not
found in the ditch at all, indeed, can be found in the close approximation. Also
here the elevation mode of the embankment is still clear to recognize.
The ditch is dug up here
with wide sole. Its upper width amounted formerly to at least 10 ms with a depth
of 1.35 ms under the earlier surface. The internal ditch wall can be found here
and there with an angle up to 60 °, while external angle barely reaches 15°.
Accordingly, there is an earth slide from the internal edge much more
significant than from the embankment. Originally the embankment might have
consisted at this point a height of about 2 ms.
Then, however, in the
depth of the ditch sole this loam becomes brighter and sandier.
Cut III - entrances - cut
IV
Cut III by embankment and
ditch in the southwest of the Goloring, where the area declines most
precipitously (not more than 20 °). From
the start, although embankment and ditch are still well visible, this area was
subject to the strongest erosion and various changes in the original relations,
particularly as the subsoil here is of a fine, moderately clayey sand with
occasional intercalations of coarser gravel. The gravel is easily faded from
reddish color, in transferred state. An old humus surface was not found under
the embankment, but the border was clear between grown ground and elevation.
The grown ground stretched
wave-shaped under the embankment elevation.
Presumably, this sand carried no growth up to time of the arrangement of
the Goloring, and the wavy surface is due to wind erosion. The embankment itself
measures at his highest place today about 0.75 ms, its former width can be given
with about 7 ms. However, a strong earth slide into the ditch has taken place
like along the west slope. In the embankment one was able to find big (about
half a hundredweight) stones of a very ferrous pebble conglomerate, which
probably had the purpose to preserve the sandy embankment. However, these stones
have never been arranged in an embankment-like fashion, but were found with big
space completely isolated from each other in the earth deposit. Tracks of other
connections of the embankment by palisades and such were completely absent
The ditch was dug up as a
broader Sohl ditch with only only moderately steep walls (around 20°). However,
it is very well possible that originally at least the internal ditch wall was a
little more precipitous, but eroded. The biggest depth of the ditch under the
former surface amounts to about 1.20 ms, to his biggest (hardly noticeable)
width about 5-6 ms.
The entrances: An
excavation of the west entrance, which would have been rather extensive due to
its expansion, was not conducted because of the thick stock of trees. There is
the plan on bringing the whole area in public possession and on clearing to put
the monument so again in his original state. Then complementary investigations
could be still done. The ditch bridge at the today's north entrance was examined
by cut IV and only in the depth of the ditch sole grown ground was found. This
ditch bridge has been filled only later and does not belong to the original
arrangement.
Cut V - south entrance,
findings
The south entrance was
examined by a cruciform cut V, which ran along the longitudinal axis of the
entrance whose other axis cut the ditch heads and the ditch bridge. The profile
brought the grown ground in normal depth. Tracks of artificial relics in the
ground were absent. Therefore, the entrance had not been fortified. The
investigation of the ditch bridge was especially successful, particularly in
view of the possibility of dating the material, which thereby arose. The ditch
heads were dug very deep in the grown red gravel in
an angle from 40-50°.
If today the grown ground
shows more level corners in the ditch bridge in his upper part, this is due to
erosion. Originally the increase will have extended in the same steepness up to
surface, and therefore, one can estimate a former width of the ditch bridge of
about 1.90 ms. These excessively precipitous walls were subject to earth slides
of course, and thus also earth slide gravel makes up the main mass of the
filling. On top of that formed a humus layer, which contrasts with the filling
even today. This ditch surface was exposed a longer time and also speaks to the
natural stability. Then the other infiltration was caused by forest work as well
as by the fact that the ditch serves as a forest road.
Findings: in the western
ditch-head a row of shards was found, of it some in the profile wall itself
(these are 1-3). Number 1 was found
in the humus layer, which distinguishes lower from the upper ditch fillings. It
consists of the bottom part of a vessel with attempts of the vascular wall. The
tone has strongly weathered, granular and high fired, however, the vessel is
produced, as evidenced by the abbot racing grooves on the ground point, with the
potter disc, which dates it to the late Latene culture at the earliest. Finding
3 was also found on the surface of the humus layer and contained beside not
closer determinable prehistoric shards edge pieces of a vessel with turning
thickened edge (2, 7. 8). A similar thickened edge piece was found within the
same layer at 5. These edge profiles do not extend beyond those found in the
middle Latene culture. The shards probably date in the turn from older to the
younger Latene culture, but possibly belong to the older Hunsrück Eifel
culture.
In addition, there are the
shard findings, which came to light along the cut and whose positions were
reconstructed under precise consideration of the finding relations in the
profile. Beneath the humus interlayer 7 two small prehistoric shards were found,
at finding place 4 in the humus interlayer two small shards were found with line
decoration, which belong to the older Hunsrück Eifel culture (fig. 2, 6).
Nearby, another prehistoric shard (finding place 6, not marked) was uncovered.
At finding place 13, also in the humus interlayer, some not closer determinable,
but prehistoric shards were obtained. About the humus interlayer positions at
finding place 11 Roman vascular shards, with 12 some prehistoric shards. We
uncovered in excavation location 2 in possibly same height a Roman vascular
handle beside prehistoric shards. In addition, at the excavation location 8 and
9 uncompleted firestones of 2.7 or 3-cm length and more hard white patina were
found; at location 8 a small prehistoric shard was uncovered.
Whereas no Roman shards
were found beneath the humus interlayer, those appeared above that with
prehistoric shards. One can explain this coexistence best by the acceptance that
these shards lay originally apart with the slopes of the ditch, however, with
the erosion got in a mixed up - even in reverse temporal order about one
another.
In the western endpoint of
the profile discussed here, a partial profile was cut vertically (a total
profile was prevented by the stock of trees). It shows the same layer relations
about earth-slid gravel an old humus cover, which was covered again by later
slides. On the edge the layer relations became unclear. Approaching the edge of
the ditch, but already in the zone of unclear layer relations within the
elevation, some bright, hard-burnt Roman shards were found (finding place 10).
Cuts VI - IX -
investigation of the interior
The
investigation of the interior was made up of two segments with different
purpose. The cuts VI, VII, VIII, IX served to explain the construction, to
elucidate the earth platform in its edge areas, cut IX served to clarify the
interior. For such long cuts only the firebreak lines were considered due to the
forestation. However, the path, which connects the North with the South
entrance, could not be dug up in the same extent because it would have impeded
the wooden removal not too long. Moreover,
these slices could not be dug up completely into the grown ground in order not
to make the earth movements too large. Single shafts had to suffice.
However, all cuts were extended to a depth where the ground would have
revealed clearly artificial indentations like hut ground, post holes and such.
This was easily possible because the excavation consisted for the most part of
bright earth kinds. However, with the exception of the posthole in the middle
nothing was found. Shards appeared occasionally. Thus, these cuts served, beside
the task of the clarifying the plateau construction, the same purpose like the
cuts though the trenches and extended our insights still substantially.
Cut
VI crosses the embankment cut I and runs as a level dug up incision up to cut IX
and X. Deeper excavations were done only on the edge of the plateau. In the
anteroom between the ditch and the plateau clear layer relations appeared
everywhere, whereas beneath the humus layer humus of infiltrated gravel and
under it the clear grown gravel was observed. Similarly straightforward is the
construction of the plateau increase. Above the clear gravel is a layer running
a somewhat wave-shaped humus-infiltrated gravel.
The
thin old surface was visible only at a place, and above that was a layer of
moved, humus to infiltrated gravel which transitioned into the interior of the
plateau into sand and was covered by the new topsoil layer with an elevation
height of about 1 m. Before the plateau increase a light excavation appears in
the ground, which is located to the whole north edge of the plateau and is
apparently artificial. For it also argues the fact that there was conspicuously
thin layer of humus in this anteroom. A clearer decision admits cut VII.
Here,
above the red gravel, which occurs to the south, a layer of white tone, mixed
very strongly with gravel extends. On it on finds, as far as the former
elevation reaches, the old humus surface. However, in the south part of the cut
it is removed by an old disturbance, which indicates itself also by a light
hollow in the sound layer. There follows a layer, which is sandy humus with
admixtures of gray Trachyttuff, above that a mightier layer of gravel which was
colored by humus admixtures rather darkly, and above that humus infiltrated
sandy, gravelly layer, then quickly above extends the former edge of the plateau
and from its humus (and humus infiltrated layer) relieved red gravel and layered
whitish tone. The former edge of the plateau is made up of sloping-inclined
layer of gravel with bright soundtracks which probably slipped off first and
indicates very nicely the ' Gekriech ' phenomena in the former plateau edge.
The highest elevation of the plateau amounts to 1.50 ms.
Cut
VIII (Taf.14): in the south edge of the plateau points continuously the old
humus cover about the grown ground. The elevation consists in the base of
infiltrated gravel, upwards to it is more sandy. Directly on the edge of the
plateau there lies about the grown ground a very hard up to 0.70 ms large,
outwardly, probably also as a result of the assembly-line movements, cuneiform
running out layer from whitish, very gravel-containing and today stone-like to
the hardened tone which rose inwards to with vertical wall. It seems nearly, as
if here a kind of bulwark should prevent melting the lighter restocking of the
plateau, however, the earth masses have also flowed about this embankment.
On the edge, close to the described sound layer, there we found an edge
piece of a presumably pear-shaped vessel with thickened edge piece and strong
finger spot strip (fig. 2, 5) which can belong to the latest urns fields culture
of the Laufelder Stufe (Hallstatt C/D) or also of the older Hunsrück Eifel
culture. Nearby and in the same depth another prehistoric shard appeared. The
question whether they only found themselves in these melting earth masses or
were originally in this layer, cannot be answered unambiguously, although the
temporal difference between these possibilities is not significant after all.
The cover by humus infiltrated zones and the real humus is same like in
the preceding cuts, and because it returns typically also in the following, I
will not return to it in detail. The highest height of the elevation in this
profile amounts to 1.20 ms.
Cut
IX: The construction of the profile is more complex in every sense than in the
preceding cuts, particularly because here the edge of the plateau extends into
the stronger natural slope in the southwest edge of the Goloring. The grown
ground consists here of yellow-gray gravel, which is sealed upwards by an only
few centimeters almost rock-like hardened bank (a kind of local stone?), which
extends through this (and also following) profile. Only now and then is there a
real black humus layer observable above this bank. The fact that this is not
continuously the case, may be caused by above all the fact that the elevation is
very earthy in the general, which complicates a more precise separation. Towards
the western end this bank runs out in the open, where it has been dug away or
(what is more probable) eroded in the slope. The original elevation of the
plateau may have extended up to here. The
plateau itself is made up from a big variety, even if earthy masses predominate,
many sandy fragments, gravelly positions and, in the eastern part, islands of
pumicing can be found. A pale zone is also to be observed here now and then. For
details I refer to the profile drawing. It shows the elevation mode very well.
In the general, the single excavations correspond exactly to the capacity of a
bigger basket, and we must probably presume that such baskets have served for
carrying of the earth. The single amounts were poured at a level or slope. On
the edge the elevation is very much slurs and the slope declines.
Here the slipped earth fragments also offer typical pictures of the
erosion: the layers begin after the interior to with her big thickness and have
departed after the slope more and more thinly, or a layer which was too piled up
at an angle upwards and outside became again in reverse direction slurs. In the
external edge the highest elevation height may have amounted more than 1.50 ms.
Towards the middle of the plateau to she amounts about 1 m.
Cuts
X - XIII – posthole
Goloring,
cut group XI. 1: 125.
Cut
X forms the continuation of IX and leads by the interior. The grown ground also
exists here of yellowish gravel and the hard rock bank as its upper end
stretches through the whole profile. Generally, a thin topsoil layer can be
found here. On the western side of the profile the mainly earthy filling still
continues some meters away to make room then with a sharp border sandy to
clayey-sandy elevation. Then
eastward of the center of the arrangement the lower part of the heap consists of
a hardened, under the mattock schollig shattering brown loam, which separates
sharply from the dark, earthy replenishment, that a layer of reddish, clayey
gravel provides. This dark replenishment retreats to some meters again very
sharply against a brighter, rock-hard, hardened loam, which could be loosened by
the excavation workers only in large pieces.
A
wall-like layering became apparent, by the way, in the profile, and it has the
appearance, as if this whole clayey layer had been already put on with such
brick-like uncompleted lumps. This would also explained the almost vertically
cut-off border against loose, humus the infiltrated heaps of mass, which exists
of pumicing and gray Trachyttuffen. It
was not possible here to carry out further the cut, because here a young spruce
forest plantation area begins. Above these heaps lies a sand elevation upto 50
cms thick, which had certainly the purpose to hold the plateau dry. In the west
part of the cut X a small not closer determinable, but absolutely prehistoric
little shard scrap was found directly above the old surface.
The
cut groups XI to XIII. A sandy heap almost without any humus and with only
occasional clayey admixture also appeared in the upper positions of all cuts
under No. XI to No. XIII to summarized cut groups. It guaranteed a durable dry
posture of the whole plateau even after longer rain periods. Some cuts were dug
up to the grown ground: Besides, the deeper positions of the earth masses showed
now and then clayey interlayers and stronger humose earth kinds. The
constructors had chosen the pure sand carefully above all for the upper layers
of the plateau elevation as this apparent by the compositions found in cut X.
However, in other cuts the pure sand continued up to the old surface. Small not
closer determinable prehistoric shards come from several cuts. Merely one edge
shard of a pot with at right angles bent lip and three grooves under the edge
which belongs to the younger urns fields culture stepped in a cut of the group
XIII.
The
posthole in the middle of the plateau. Around the ideal center of the plateau
were pulled a whole row by smaller and bigger cuts whose interfootbridges were
partially removed later and the summarily are referred to as cut XI. The
somewhat confusing shape of this cut is explained by above all by the fact that
single trees were spared and over and over again seemed to be finding nothing.
A Planum was produced in 0.55 ms depth. In it some clayey, bright sandy
soil 1.40 m wide earthy-brown discoloration planed down itself narrow, 5.30 ms
long and at the widest place in the north rather clearly. It was cut
longitudinally under recess by three cross-sectional profiles. Besides, this
excavation was also the deepest at its widest place. The longitudinal profile
proved that the whole discoloration dropped ramp-like to the deepest location
(1.35 ms under today's surface), so that the thought of a big posthole was
obvious.
Such
post ramps were also found in the English Henge sanctums of Arminghall and
Woodhenge. The length of the ramp, which was cut with precipitous walls and
hollows-shaped ground, already allowed one to think of a quite substantial post.
The profiles of the ramp show in the west a quite vertical indent, to the east a
gentler outward bent. It was in this direction that one probably excavated the
earth. The ramp against sedate wall was something undercut, which was caused by
pushing the post by the relatively loose sand and gravel during the raising of
the post. The real post pit was built in against the ramp and was set down,
however, along both sides more clearly as in the longitudinal direction, where
the post had to slur while introducing stronger edges.
Considering
the layers in the profile unquestionably points
towards the existence of the post. The earth filling of the ramp was humus of
clayey consistency and moderate hardness. In the post pit a certain clearance
became apparent at its deepest location. There also different layers -
alternately more earthily or more sandy state – occurred simultaneously. This
appearance admits no other explanation, as that here after the decomposition of
the approximate 40-50 cm thick post different earth kinds of all sides slid in
and thereby caused this funnel-shaped layer deposition. Also the half profile
K-L shows this appearance rather well, although the earth kinds are more mixed
here.
I
calculate the height of the post at 8-12 ms. All around this post was
exceptionally hard, loamy soils, which owes absolutely his hardness to former
pulping and owned maybe due to especially binding admixtures. The dark color
would allow one to think of blood. Also it shows an oblique layering to the
post, which was most probably rammed. On the other hand, could additional earth
movements with the rotting of the post also explain this oblique layering?
Two more darkly colored clayey fragments on the ground of the post pit
are probably due to a repeated excavation of the post pit shortly before final
using of the post. On the ground of the post ramp a black-colored earth track
(decomposing deep brown) becomes apparent now and then, thus with the profiles E
F and H J, above all, however, between profile A B and the actual standing hole
of the post where this discoloration had disjointed stripe-like character. The
smallest little particles red of colored earth would speak for the fact that the
post whose bottom was presumably burnt had not completely cooled off yet when it
was introduced.
Fig.
4. Goloring, across profiles (a-h) by the post hole in cut group XI. 1: 75
Charcoal
particles have got stuck probably while inserting the post in the earth. They
are also found on the ground of the both at the side of the post sensible gray
fragments, which are mixed in likewise with such small little charcoal remnants,
hence (like on top demonstrated) probably were scratched off while raising the
post from the pit.
Occasionally,
already in the Planum, but also on an cross-cut, one notices small little
particles of burnt earth and small inserts of charcoal, which are possibly due
to the fire to the incineration of the beam or also to sacrificial fires. The
remnants of the fire were thrown into the post pit. Here also were found some
prehistoric shards, which was uncovered above the Planum. There were also some
small shards in the posthole and in the post ramp, which appeared to be design
according to earliest Hallstatt era. Some shards show tears and jumps of
additional fire effect. In addition, still some completely weather-beaten
probably also Hallstatt era small shards were found in the heaps under the post
pit.
Whether
the ascertained posthole is the only one within the plateau, can be said some
but, unfortunately, not with entire certainty. Another exposure of the interior
seemed not feasible for forest reasons. If several posts had been arranged close
by, their long ramps could not presumably have avoided resulting in numerous
cuts and with the good observation possibilities in the bright ground would have
been discovered. The same holds for the whole post circle.
Dating
and interpretation
The
shard findings in the plateau elevation prove a term post quem for the whole
arrangement. We found three unambiguously determinable edge pieces of the
younger urns fields culture (Hallstatt
B) as well as an edge shard which will
belong of the later urn fields (Hallstatt C/D) or the first Hunsrück Eifel
culture (Hallstatt D). From their location it was not possible to unambiguously
determine whether it was located immediately within the plateau elevation in
higher layers of the same or originally on the surface of the plateau, which was
then covered by the melting earth masses. In both cases this shard delivers a
very precise temporal dating. Younger shards were absent in the elevation
completely. Now the shard findings in the ditch begin again with shards of the
last Hallstatt era (Hallstatt D; then Hunsrück-Eifel I) and extend into
findings of the second Hunsrück Eifel culture and the late La-Tène-period
until the Roman time. With it the whole arrangement is dated unambiguously in
the last Hallstatt period (Hallstatt D).
The
construction was probably begun with the elevation of the plateau during the
earlier urnfield
era, which seems to be supported by the findings of this
time period in the deeper layers of the heaps. The arrangement of the sanctum
dates back to the same time during which the first funerals were carried out in
the close by tumulus fields. This fact appears of some importance because the
site of the Goloring is not quite favorable for this big round arrangement
because of the difficult area towards the west. At the moment of the
establishment, however, still the biggest part of the Bassenheimer height of
grave-mounds was free, the special holiness of this site may extend to even
older times. Future excavations will have to examine once whether are not hidden
under the plateau elevation maybe bronze or even neolithic arrangements.
The
interpretation can be considered only after the drawing parallels more sharply.
At least we would like to briefly summarize here which conclusions can be drawn
from the arrangement and location of the monument. The non-fortification
character, which was proved above thoroughly as well as the absence of any
settlement track, allows one to think of a ritual importance, which is
unambiguously supported by the big post hole in the center. The immediate
neighborhood to the graveyard and the temporal simultaneity with the main mass
of its funerals implies the relevance of our site in the dead person's cult of
that time think, which, as the following consideration should point, even in its
whole construction of elements is reminiscent of the grave construction.
However, the Goloring itself contained no grave. It probably served only as a
celebration and memorial. This function, however, was not only served for the
immediately connecting graveyard, but far beyond it.
Another
grave-mound field, which is situated only about 1 km in eastern direction from
the Goloring stretches through the forest district 'choral song' (district to
Kobern to the north and to the south of height 313.4. Mbl. Bassenheim 3269) and
contains in several groups more than 50 grave-mounds, among it one of about 50
ms of diameter and more than 5-m height (fig. 1). Also these hills are a central
part of the Hunsrück Eifel culture. A grave field of the urns fields culture
lies about 1.25 kms west-northwesterly of the Goloring. Further to the east,
near the Künster court, big tumulus fields are found with the so-called. Gray
groves (according to. Clouds, Landkr. Koblenz) and in Rübenacher forest (Rübenach,
Landkr. Koblenz). I would like to propose that the Goloring had a special
meaning as a sanctum for the whole surroundings, for large parts of the Mayfield
and the Neuwieder washbasin.
There
appears to be no equal to the Goloring on the continent among the prehistoric
arrangements, as far as I see. At most, one could compare it with the strange
arrangement in the camp de Condé sur Risle, which consists of two perfectly
circular ditches, which surround a level interior of 14 ms of diameter and are
accompanied in both ditch edges by a level embankment. The whole arrangement had
surely ritual character. It probably dates in the Celtic-Roman epoch and is
surrounded with one of the typical quadrangle redoubt. Drexel has considered
these as sanctums; however, no real relationship exists with our arrangement. A
certain parallel could also be drawn to the so-called. Ballerkuil (Balloo,
Drente), according to old reports a perfectly circular place surrounded by a
high earthwork, which is situated in the midst of a grave-mound field and played
an important role as a court place and memorial.
In newer time nobody seems to have dealt with this monument. Maybe it
belongs to the group that modern festivity and memorial places, which are also
known from Rhineland and have a certain meaning as distant descendants of our
monument.
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Nevertheless,
the closest formal correspondence exists with a series of English sanctums, who
are summarized under the name of Henge monuments by English archeologists. It
comprises perfectly circular level areas of between 30 ms and 300 ms diameter,
which are surrounded with ditch or embankment or both. They contain themselves
no graves, however, lie in the midst of or close to tumulus fields.
The sanctums of Avebury,
Woodhenge, Durrington
walls, all three
Wiltshire, as well as Arbor Low, the Stripple
Stones, Maumbury ring (Dorset),
Knowlton-Circles (Dorset), Highworth-Circles (Wiltshire), two of the Stennis-Circles,
the Bullring (Derbyshire), King Arthur's Round Table (Westmoreland) as well as
the circles of Corsey Bigbury (Somerset) and Marden (Wiltshire) are made of,
beside the ring, a ditch an outside embankment and form therefore the closest
analogies to the Goloring. In addition, King Arthur's Round Table is made of a
concentric round earth platform in the interior. Merely Stonehenge, the
Priddy Circles (Somerset) and the arrangement of Litton-Cheney (Dorset) are made of an
embankment in the inside of the ditch.
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Occasionally,
there is a ditch without embankment - the excavated earth was probably
distributed above a bigger surface-, as with two of the Stennis circles (ring of
Brodgar, ring of
Bookan), or merely one earth or stone embankment surrounding
the interior, as in case of Mayburgh, Westmoreland. Sometimes two ditches are found and the internal one is
larger, which surround the embankment: Arminghall (Norwich),
Thornborough Circles
(Yorkshire), Hutton moor (Yorkshire), Dorchester Circles (Oxfordshire).
The sanctums have occasionally only one entrance (Stonehenge, Woodhenge,
Arminghall, Mayburgh, Maumbury, Gorsey Bigbury). However, especially typical are
two passages at opposite sides of the embankment and ditch: Of Durrington
embankment, Arbor Low, Thornborough, King Arthur's Round Table, Ripon moor
(Yorkshire). Avebury has three certain entrances in the north, the west, the
south; and another possibly in the east.
Priddy-,
Highworth and two of the Stennis circles generally show no entrance. Some these
sanctums have, except the described enclosures, no other installations (Thornborough-Circles,
Dorchester-Circles, Durrington of embankment, Maumbury ring). With others one
finds menhir or post circles. Such a menhir circle is often accompanied by an
internal ditch edge (Avebury, Arbor Low, three of the Stennis circles, Stripple
Stones), or the menhir circle stands directly on top of the embankment if it
stretches towards the inside of the ditch (Little Cheney). However, there is not
always just one circle, it can double (Mayburgh), and, finally, they can contain
such complex inside constructions as can be found in Stonehenge or Woodhenge or
the sanctum on the Overton-Hill at Avebury. In Avebury two double menhir
circles, side by side, are located in the interior.
Stonehenge contained at first, beside embankment and ditch, only one
external circle of posts (?), the so-called. Aubrey-Holes.
Only
a few, among them, however, the most significant monuments, can be dated
perfectly. Avebury is part of the transition period of Peterborough to the mug
ceramics period, the sanctum on the Overton-Hill and the Durrington embankment
can be dated to the same time period. In addition, Arbor is probably not older,
but also not younger than the beginning Bronze Age in England.
Embankment, ditch and Aubrey-Holes in Stonehenge also are part of the
mug ceramic time period, and the stone structures of the middle belong to a
further advanced stage of the same time period. The Y and Z-holes in Stonehenge
probably date in the late-La Tène period. Thus, this significant place has
preserved his holiness for a long time. Also Arminghall
belongs in the mug ceramic time period, as does the Maumbury ring and
Woodhenge, although initially grooved and rusticated artifacts suggested an
earlier postmug-temporal age suggested, it has been dated lately to the
mug-ceramic time period. Hutton Moor is probably part of the late Bronze Age.
Roman artifacts were found in some
of the Highworth Circles, which suggests that the custom of these sanctums or,
at least their religious customs, extended across the whole prehistoric epoch.
Earth
work from West Virginia, North America (according to C. Thomas).
If
it was said above that the Goloring has no equal on the European continent, this
is based only on its arrangement with embankment and ditch, according to which
it belongs completely in the group of the Henges. Certainly, Mykene or Ustrinum,
Augusti, which was reconstructed according to the description of Strabo von Götze,
use arrangements like the flat ring. The next closest parallels to our Henge
monuments are found among the whole group of circle ditch monuments in the
so-called Mound culture in the southeast of North America, which had blossomed
several centuries before its discovery. Even a brief inventory Cyrus Thomas of
the work of the Mound culture reveals numerous similarities. I include here an
illustration from an an Enclosure from West Virginia, which lies in a tumulus
field and consists of a ring ditch with passage in the southeast and outside
embankment and measures about 306 ms in the diameter: a typical Henge.
Automatically, one looks for direct connecting threads between old and the
new-worldly Henge province. However, there is none. The separation in space and
time is too big. In few cases the problem of the ethnographic parallels becomes
as speculative as here. If we can accept no direct historical relations between
these areas, does this mean that the monuments have originated independently of
each other? But what does it mean here to talk about independence? The European
examples are certainly not the model for the use of embankment and ditch as
essential construction elements in America. However, the thoughts, images and
ritual conditions, which led to the production of such round sanctums could date
back to much older times and in its spreading straight across the whole earth
allow one to consider therefore a root-like relationship.
Even
today in all parts of the earth, but particularly in the folkloristic area of
Europe, important meetings, popular parties and dances take place in the round
installation or in the round movement. For everybody, not only those familiar
with ethnology, it is easy to cite numerous examples. Here, as a way of
introduction for the following considerations, the picture of the land
municipality of Glarus is mentioned. One sees clearly in the picture how the
external circles of the spectators stand on a round rostrum (which just derives
its form again from the round installation) to allow those spectators an
overview of the whole meeting and the their leaders. An earthwork, as in the
Henge monuments, would serve the same purpose. These stands would be taken apart
and no trace would testify in future of such meetings, however, the tradition of
the round installation like the uncovered round arrangements lives on.
Therefore,
the complex research into the origin of the Henges splits in two: a generally
religious-historical and cult-historical one and a more special based on the
characteristic special arrangement of the monuments found here, i.e. embankment
and ditch, menhir and post circles and post positions. As part of the larger
question, the Henge monuments form only one special case, as it were, only one
lapping of the waves in a sea of more similar worldwide phenomena in the form of
open, uncovered arrangements, used as meeting sites, or as fairgrounds and
sanctums. Moreover, these show once
more only one special case of the Hegung, the enclosure of important centers, as
they can be found in addition to fairgrounds in towns and villages, graves,
riches or persons, or quite generally in any important sites.
It
is a matter a cutting out a piece of land from a profane world and of handing
over it to a new assignment of parting an Outside from an Inside. We must
liberate us from the common notions and from the concepts familiar to us, from
images, from construction and buildings and, with only our task at hand, stand
under the wide sky, recalling of all mythical physical attachment of the
primitive person. And the view,
which is provided by the sky, as it encircles the earth, extends towards the
visible, only imagined world view of the round earth disc, which is surrounded
by the sea or is surrounded by awe inspiring wall of rocks, depending on whether
sea or mountains limit the natural view. And
as on one side the view from the visible passes to the invisible and larger,
thus it limits itself on the other side on the closer surroundings and allows
one construct a view of the world in the narrower vicinity as the encirclement
of an important center or place of important deeds.
Once more, it becomes clear that this Hegung itself can be used as a
means of a cult as part of the most different religious services.
Origin
and meaning
Every
round form contains with it an active round movement. This finds its big role
model in the sky, above all in the course of the sun, but also, to a lesser
degree, however, with same-apt movement also in that of the star sky. And, as
well as the sun, the person also moves in the sacred contact still today in the
round dance in the folkloristic area, and the sacred Turnus is still fully in
motion, in manifold processions and ambulatories in the high-level religions, as
well as with the primitive races, and in the primitive cults as important cult
means. Probably in the prevailing majority these sacred ambulatories begin in
the east and move from left to right along the south, the west, the north
according to the direction of the solar run, and, moreover, often the wings of
torches or carrying of lamps and lights or also the name of the contact
underline unambiguously the solar character (Sunwise in the Scottish).
It
is more difficult to explain in the solar-contrary sense how they meet above all
in the dead person's cult or as an expression of black (unauthorised) magic.
There are frequently customs of pure return because they belong to the domain of
the dead person or the forbidden, and prove therefore nothing against the
proposed view as solar determined actions (another explanation should be
discussed below). Now such ambulatories show at the same time the connection to
an important center and, on the other hand, again how the demarcation of the
outside world appears as the building of an Umhegung as an applied and permanent
transformation.
Thus
the enclosed district becomes the world-view, a reduced effigy within the big
world, to a stage for religious actions. The solar road and with it the horizon
circle and the worlds is divided by rising and setting, midday and midnight
around in four striking points. And thus, it does not astonish if this quarterly
division also spreads to the Hegung itself. Embankment and ditch of Avebury have
four interruptions to four directions. Other examples follow below. In the same
direction it hits if Stonehenge seems straightened to the summer solstice.
Some
have wanted to interpret this quarterly division of the space and the contact
rites (especially in the solar-contrary sense) also as an outflow, at least
originally, of lunar symbolism, only later and to a great extent, of a solar
interpretation. The moon traverses in not completely 27 days 7 ¾ hours the
whole zodiac of the west to the east and offers, besides, the impressive picture
of his phase change, which (even if with difficulties) could be also taken to
the starting point of the quarterly division of the space. However, the moon,
differently than the sun in (in the course of a day), is less a knife of the
space than rather of time (month! Lunar year!) The solar relations with the
contact rites and the quarterly division of space are proved so numerously in
various parts of the earth that we can view them safely as original.
The
Umhegung of such a fairground will mostly have been explained in the little
lasting material of folkloristic and ethnological examples and teach only too
well: Ropes, tapes, flower garlands, wooden fences, hedges, dug up lawn pieces,
an easy drawing of a circle in the earth, by trees plant in the circle or free
mattocks of a round place in the wood. From all such traditions, nothing will be
left over what could have been discovered by the spade. And besides the thought
of the Hegung and its world view, beside the continued existence of ritual
demands, may also have just such a little lasting Hegungsformen preserved the
tradition of these monuments from the architectural side.
However,
only the sanctums remain with us for a long time, which were built in lasting
material, in a civil engineering, which often derived from other construction
traditions. Thus our Henge monuments are probably influenced from the Neolithic
fortress construction, in which the thought of the Hegung out of necessity
manifested itself in more lasting forms, and the same holds probably for the
monuments of the Mound culture. Beside the fortress construction, the
grave-mound construction may have been co-involved, in which the thought of the
Hegung and worldview like images play a considerable role in the origin of the
Henge monuments. This question should still occupy us below. Thus, the menhir
circle as Umhegung of a fairground has lent to the Hegungsgedanken from the
megalithic monument tradition and the perpetuation striving being inherent in
her out lasting forms. The menhir
circle has become one of the most important elements of the English Henges. And
thus the ancient tradition of the round places will be graspable from prehistory
and history times only if it constructed from lasting material, which will be
taken from other construction traditions or adapted generally as an essential
element from related building projects. The flat ring of Mykene, which has been
built of stone, is now a witness for the existence of rites and images of a
worldwide tradition of the dead person's cult of the Mycenae culture. And a
similar account holds for the Ustrinum Augusti. In both cases suitable
Hegungsformen of the grave-mounds and grave places have probably asserted their
influence.
Old
prehistoric tradition of uncovered round places underwent a great development in
support of change rites (linked with an advancement of the grave-mound) in the
Buddhist
Stupa of Sansei up until the Barabudur, because sacred change
is
one of the central cult means of Buddhism.