The keen eye of the archaeologists during a rescue excavation at the Oberrimsinger Wasserloch.
A so-called archaeological emergency excavation was carried out in Breisach under the scientific direction of the Archaeology Department of the State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments at the Stuttgart Regional Council, which is headquartered in Freiburg. The excavation revealed more than just a suspicion of a Roman settlement at the Oberrimsinger Wasserloch on the western edge of the Tuniberg.
Traces of a Roman-era settlement had already been discovered repeatedly at that very location in the 1950s and 1960s, and these had also been confirmed during preliminary test excavations conducted prior to construction; therefore, archaeological rescue excavations had become necessary to document the cultural heritage.
Test Excavation at the Oberrimsinger Water Hole
Even a preliminary test excavation had initially confirmed the suspicion that findings would be uncovered on the 4.5-hectare site. Now that the salvage excavation has been completed, it is clear that a bewildering number of archaeological finds have come to light, dating back to the Neolithic period. What’s more, all subsequent cultures were represented in the finds and archaeological evidence. This confirms that the Wasserloch area in Oberrimsingen has always been a densely populated region—a fact that is actually typical of the Tuniberg region.
The Oberrimsing finds attest to a lively and archaeologically significant settlement activity in the area. Among other things, a large number of pottery shards from storage vessels of the Early Neolithic Michelsberg Culture (late fifth and early fourth millennium B.C.) were discovered. Their fortified settlements on the edge of the riverbank are called “Erdwerke.” Bottle-shaped vessels were even dated to approximately 7,000 years ago, suggesting an even earlier period of settlement. Additionally, mainly in the northern part of the site, the remains of a Roman rural settlement were found, including the remnants of a spectacular Roman well made of hewn Tuniberg stones and a Roman oven constructed of fired clay.
The Oberrimsinger Wasserloch was a former canal system in a historic landscape, located in the immediate vicinity of the Rhine. Ceramic fragments found in the excavated, exposed former riverbank area confirmed a cultural heritage spanning various eras. In addition, there was the previously mentioned well, the oven, and other extremely valuable, high-quality finds.
Roman Well Discovered at the Oberrimsinger Wasserloch
The Roman well is built of stone, resembles a dry stone wall, and dates to the 1st century A.D. Roman pottery finds and Roman fibulae (metal garment pins) discovered at the site unequivocally support this conclusion based on their distinctive characteristics. The base of the well lies 4.5 meters below the former ground level prior to the excavation. The base rests directly on original Rhine gravel, which became visible at that location. The groundwater level was about 1.5 meters higher, so it can be assumed that the well’s base was submerged in the waters of the Rhine. Due to the filled-in sediments, pottery shards, and the bronze fibula, the base also serves as an indicator of the aforementioned era.
The Roman oven dates to the mid-2nd century A.D. A Roman brooch from this period and the fired classical Roman bricks arranged in an oval shape support this conclusion. Concentrations of charcoal indicate the presence of a kiln. However, the kiln shows evidence of two phases of use. The first phase relates to Roman use, which was eventually abandoned. The second phase is indicated by the superimposed ring of limestone blocks. This transformed the furnace into a lime kiln. These solidly constructed stones are referred to in technical terminology as “Hunde” and likely originate from the Kaiserstuhl region.
The most significant finds from Oberrimsing include several Roman brooches dating from the 1st century B.C. and A.D. These are believed to have been used in a military context. Some of them are remarkably well-preserved. A Roman copper coin from the year 351 A.D. is the only Roman coin whose effigy indicates the coin’s legal status. It is referred to in technical terminology as a folis coin. The silver quinarii found date from the La Tène period. This Late Iron Age (rarely also referred to as the Late Iron Age) spans the period from 450 BC to the birth of Christ. These quinarii are extremely rare and were of great value even back then. Their chronological attribution is unambiguous, as evidenced by the coin weights and motifs of horses and birds. Another find was an extremely hard flint arrowhead from the Stone Age. A stone axe made of jadeite was also discovered, pointing to early trade routes in ancient times. Grinding stones, known as “Lieger,” were also found. The Läufer Stone was used in combination with these to grind grain. Taken together, these are complex archaeological findings, elevating Oberrimsingen to the ranks of high-quality archaeological sites.
Text: Eberhard Kopp
