The Main Wall - North Wall Part 1
The imposing rock masses of the north wall are silent witnesses to what were once the mightiest Celtic fortress walls in Europe. Built to seal off the populated mountain spur from the adjoining mountain ridge, this wall had to be much thicker than the side walls. Due to the hillside location, these were difficult for an enemy to attack. With a height of over 10m and a base width of 40m, the collapse of the wall still gives an impression of its former size. Based on a formerly vertical front and back, it would have been in the 1st century BC. BC was approximately 20m high and 25m thick. However, the north wall is much older. As early as 400 BC. A wall crossing the mountain ridge from W-E, consisting of a wooden frame filled with earth and stone, was built in the 1st century BC. As a section wall with a ditch in front, it formed the oldest wall of the fortress. A second, similar section wall was located at the level of today's refuge as a second defensive wall. At the latest in the 1st century BC. In the 1st century BC, the ring wall that can be seen today, a surrounding, closed fortress wall, was built. This probably happened in the wake of the Germanic dangers and the Gallic War. The later wall construction of the 1st century. v. BC, which was built over the remains of the section wall, has not yet been examined. The huge, loose rock masses prevent this. The north wall was built in the style of a “murus gallicus”, the Gallic wall, described by Caesar. This consisted of a framework of beams nailed or mortised together with the local Taunus quartzite as filling. In any case, this could be proven in the gate area of the fortress. Or was the wall simply constructed as a heaped stone wall? In addition to its fortification significance, the fortress also served representational purposes. From the outside, it impressively reflected the power of the prince who ruled here on the mountain ridge, which was then deforested. Source: Text information board - Dr. T Fritsch, Terrex gGmbH