Like other prehistoric or early historical fortifications, it was popularly referred to as the "Hun Ring", although there is no connection with the Huns. The old term 'Hunnich' (for king) is thought to have something to do with it. A linguistic connection with 'Hünen' because of the size of the complex would also be conceivable. Also conceivable is the enthusiastic, historicizing naming style that was often encountered in the early 19th century, when a mixture of feelings from Romanticism and national impulse led to numerous neologisms of a similar kind in Germany. Today the place is listed as one of the five known town-like settlements of the Treverer.
The ring wall is the remains of a fortified settlement (“oppidum”, lat.: fortification) of the Celtic tribe of the Treveri. The Dollberg near Otzenhausen occupies a special position among the late Celtic Treverian fortifications. First as a refuge around 400 BC. Built in the 3rd century BC, two section walls running across the mountain spur sealed it off. Presumably, climatic changes forced the inhabitants to emigrate (Celtic migration) and thus also to give up the Hunnering. A hiatus during the late 4th to mid-2nd century B.C. A resettlement followed. This second construction phase now also includes the expansion of the fortifications with a protective wall on all sides towards a ring wall during the 1st century BC. At that time, first Germanic invasions, then the Roman desire to occupy, worried the Celtic areas. A probably strategic reorientation is due to a shortening of the southern part of the ring wall, so that ultimately three different construction phases can be proven.
It is probable that the name Otzenhausen goes back to a Gaulish place name occiā (Occio's estate) or occion (the summit).[3] In the latter case, a combination with Gaulish dūron is conceivable due to the finding of the stone wall. A dūron is a stone-walled settlement usually equated with a market protected and regulated by a ruler.[4]
With the onset of the bello gallico, the local Treveri were also drawn into the war, during which the "Hun Ring" can also be seen, albeit without a fight. Furthermore, the Roman military camp near Hermeskeil, which was built in those war times, is related to this.
Due to the limited settlement area of 18 hectares, assignment to the oppida was long disputed. However, the excavations to date have provided evidence of a settlement structure, commercial activities and a religious district, so that the ring wall near Otzenhausen can at least be understood as the central location of the region. Finds point to iron processing as a source of wealth for the Celtic inhabitants; the breeding of meat animals and riding horses may also have contributed to this. There is also evidence of the manufacture of grinding stones.
In 1849, two Celtic princely tombs were discovered two kilometers away in the neighboring town of Schwarzenbach, which were probably the remains of the founders of the fortress. The last ruler of the "Hun Ring" could perhaps be that of G.J. Caesar repeatedly mentioned Treverer prince Indutiomarus.
The fortification was built in the middle of the 1st century BC. Abandoned after the Gallic Wars, only the surrounding settlements continued to be inhabited, albeit on a smaller scale than before.[5] Apart from a sanctuary from the 2nd or 3rd century AD from the Roman Empire, which was possibly dedicated to Diana or Mars, the complex was no longer inhabited.
On September 9, 1836, the Prussian Prince Wilhelm visited the area. For this purpose, a square was cleared inside the wall, which is still called Königsplatz today. This event counts as an early example of monument protection, as the visit caused the monument to be protected. From then on, no more stones from the ramparts were stolen for building purposes.