Alcimoenis - the lost city

The Greek geographer Ptolemy mentioned Alkimoenis/Alcimoennis in his Geography as a settlement situated in southern Germania, north of the Danube. Since the Altmühl river's old name was known as Alcmona or Alcmuna, the remains of a large settlement at the mouth of the river into the Danube were identified as Alcimoennis. It dates from the late La Tène period. Who inhabits the oppidum is unknown. The inquiry arises: Who were the Kelheimers back then?

Kelheimers back then

It is possible that this was the central settlement of the Vindelici, a Celtic tribe based in the nearby oppidum of Manching. Alkimoenis thrived iron. The surrounding soil is rich in iron, and the dense forests provided ample fuel for the smelting process. The landscape surrounding the settlement is literally covered with pockmarks left by shallow mine shafts and pits. Agriculture and livestock farming, particularly pig farming, were prevalent in the region. Most likely, fishing was a significant part of daily life. Even today there is a quarter called Fischerdörfl (fishing village) and the 'Steckerlfisch' - a fish grilled on a stick is a local delicacy.

The outer wall of the late Celtic oppidum enclosed the entire Michelsberg and Hirschberg. Within the approximately 650 hectare area was the settlement known today as Alcimoennis, dating from the 2nd and 1st centuries BC. Compared to the legendary Alesia, which rose to fame thanks to Vercingetorix, or the oppidum of Manching, Alcimoenis had a larger area. The settlement included a craftsmen's quarter on the Mitterfeld and a square rampart on an island in the Altmühl. Otherwise, only a few residential units or graves have been discovered.

The oppidum was secured by at least three section walls with ramparts and ditch. In contrast to Manching, only a fraction of the walled area was probably occupied by buildings. It is estimated that more than 8,000 trees, 17,000 cubic meters of limestone and 35,000 cubic meters of earth were needed for the building materials. The remains of four pincer gates were discovered as entrances through the walls. Large areas of Celtic spoil heaps lie between the ramparts. Iron ore was mined here and smelted locally. It seems that in this section of the Celtic city the focus was on mining and the processing of raw materials. The Altmühl was the actual residential area.

Celt in Alcimoenis

The defensive walls that surrounded hill forts and oppida during the Iron Age are known as Pfostenschlitzmauer (German for "post-slot wall"). Vertical wooden posts set into the front stone facing are what define them. A timber lattice filled with dirt or debris serves as the rampart's foundation. Like the murus gallicus used in Gaul and western Germany, the transverse cross-beams may also poke through the stone facing. In English, it's sometimes called a timber-framed wall. It is also called the "Kelheim-style" that because of the massive ramparts at the Oppidum of Kelheim/Alcimoenis .

Romans at the Danube Gorge (Weltenburg)

The reasons for the abandonment of the industrial town are unknown. One theory is that Alkimoennis, which belonged to the Vindelici, was possibly abandoned after a war with the Germanic tribe of the Marcomanni, who invaded from the north. This almost destroyed the Vindelici as a people and left their infrastructure in ruins. Another theory is that the Celts cleared the surrounding forests for iron smelting and that ore mining was exhausted, which took away their livelihood. In 15 BC, the Romans occupied Bavaria and integrated the remnants of the Celtic tribe and the area south of Alkimoennis, such as today's Affecking, Weltenburg and Saal, became the Roman province of Raetia.

Iron Age blacksmith in Essing

Essing, a nearby little market town (6 km as the crow flies), has kept its name's Celtic roots. In what was once Schellneck, the Celts ran an iron forge. "Isan" means iron, and "Essa" means a fireplace or weapons forge. In neighboring Essing there is, among many others, a mysterious sacrificial site called ‚Maifelsen‘ from the early Bronze, Urnfield, and early La Tène periods as well as the early Middle Ages.

The Archaeological Museum in Kelheim harbours a collection of unusual and distinctive exhibits. It is definitely worth the trip. What language was spoken in Kelheim at the time? To which deities did they offer prayers? What were their names? More importantly, what became of them? There are countless questions that have no definitive answers. However, one thing might help clarify the situation: genetic studies might show how much DNA from the Celts of Alkimoenis is present in Kelheim's current population.

There is an old custom in Kelheim and the surrounding area: the Spitzl market and the Spitzl, a diamond-shaped sweet pastry. The Spitzl market is held in Kelheim's old city on October 31st each year. The Spitzl tradition can be interpreted in a number of ways. According to some, the godfather presents the godchild with the pastry. Some claim that farmers used to give them to their servants. , while others claim that the diamond-shaped pastries were originally meant for the deceased. Maybe this tradition is a hint from a long forgotten past, or is it just a coincidence that the Spitzl tradition falls on October 31st, which is a Celtic harvest festival?