Hochgerichtsheide - Tumuli

An important pre-historic track, lined by several tumuli fields and the forerunner of both the Roman road and the later Hunsruck high road, passed over the Halster heights between Wederath and Hochsheid.
One of these tumuli fields is situated on the northwestern edge of the mountaintop near Hochscheid and contains about 30 barrows.
One can, with certainty, assume that nearly all these tumuli were laid down during the 6th to 4th century B.C:  the time of the Hunsrück-Eifel-culture.
With more than 100 tumuli the grave field of Wederath/Götzerroth is the largest of the three tumuli fields between Hochheim and Hundheim. 
Within the Celtic-Roman grave field lie the southernmost of the tumuli.  They date back to the final stage of the later Hunsrück-Eifel-culture, to the 4th and early 3rd century B.C.
Presumably the tumuli were the starting point of the Wederath/Belginum gravefield.  The older barrows held inhumations, the later ones cremations. 
The dead were buried together with ceramic items and their personal jewellery – characteristic arm and leg bracelets fashioned from bronze.
During the excavation of one of the tumuli the discovery of wooden material caused a surprise. The context in which to place the striking, triangular constructions first starts to become clear when looking at the name of the field; “Hochgerichtsheide”.
They are the remains of gallows, from medieval and more recent times, that were raised on the early Celtic tumulus.
General view of the tumuli fields on the Halster Heights.
The graves of the ruling class were deliberately isolated. Situated in the very northwest is the small necropolis of Hochscheid,  with its  richly furnished  Royal graves.
The trading connections of those buried here reached to upper Italy. Bronze drinking vessels were imported from the Etruscan area.
The tumuli group near Hundheim is situated a few kilometres to the south.
Iron fragments from two-wheeled chariots  – the status symbol of the early-Celtic ruling class – were retrieved from the graves.
All tumuli were set at some distance from the settlements and close to the traffic routes. They were evidence of the bond between the living and the dead.
The necropoli of the Halster heights were established there by the inhabitants of small unified settlements, comprising a number of granges. Their granges included residential houses, stores and auxiliary buildings.
The buildings were mainly timber-framed with walls made of clay and straw. 
In the fields the traditional types of grains, barley and spelt, were grown. The areas favourable for agriculture were gradually deforested.
On the Hunsruck heights, during the last centuries B.C; there developed a tighter and tighter net of granges and smaller hamlets.

[Martin Thoma]