396:
387:
378:
174:
297:
238:
118:
285:
142:
by vineyards and are almost impossible to investigate archeologically), the settlement contracted towards the mountain top after it was destroyed by fire twice (around 750 and 700 BC) during the subsequent
Hallstatt period. It was essentially abandoned shortly after 600 BC. The Burgstallkogel settlement itself was not fortified (although a system of Hallstatt-era trenches was found close to the Sulm valley bottom at the northwestern side of the hill, which is most exposed to attacks), and archeology gives no indications that it ever suffered from war; the two catastrophic fires seem to have been accidental.
309:
357:
333:
345:
405:
321:
185:
369:
31:
166:
150:
central
European Iron Age. This illustrates that the Burgstallkogel population had a comparatively high standard of living (though not as high as is typical for the Western Hallstatt culture), which can also be inferred from the fact that the inhabitants slaughtered their cattle at a relatively young age.
266:
years old (and outmoded for actual combat) when it was burnt and buried alongside the deceased ruler. The central burial chamber was 8 x 8 m in size. From measurements and comparisons with similar graves in
Slovenia, an original tumulus diameter of 40 m and an original height of 12 m could be inferred.
260:
was the last hill grave to be set up for a chieftain ruling the
Burgstallkogel settlement, most likely dating to the first half of the 6th century BC. It had been scientifically probed (and clandestinely robbed) many times from the mid-1900s onward. (Among weapons and impressive bronze vessels, these
248:
The rulers and their aristocracy, which prided itself on military leadership, had the easternmost part of the necropolis to themselves. Naturally, their tumuli (of which four are known - Hartnermichelkogel I and II, Pommerkogel and Kröllkogel) were the largest and richest ones, containing significant
265:
prospections, unveiled an astounding amount of previously ignored pottery (much of it ritually smashed for the burial), and other very remarkable findings, including osteological proof of cremation of three people (two male, one female), several animals, and a bronze sword that was already about 200
195:
In contrast to the grave mounds in the
Western Hallstatt zone where the deceased were mostly buried intact, all Burgstallkogel dead were cremated, frequently together with some of their personal articles, before the remains were deposited in the stone grave chamber and earth was piled on it to erect
141:
period (Ha B2/3 to Ha B3/C1). Erosion has destroyed the youngest layers of the late
Hallstatt period, especially on the summit where nobility is likely to have resided. While the earliest settlement traces are believed to extend over much of the hill on all its sides (the southern slopes are covered
204:
and the village of
Kleinklein, where a small area had been set aside for the much larger tumuli of the chieftains. The oldest grave mounds in the necropolis correspond to the youngest surviving settlement strata of the Burgstallkogel settlement, while two later (Hallstatt B3/C1) burial phases can
149:
from the
Hallstatt era that has ever been identified in Central Europe. The fact that the stone weights of this loom remained in situ when it collapsed allowed its reconstruction, adding a valuable piece of knowledge to our conception of advanced woven-textile manufacturing technology during the
208:
Today the surviving tumuli appear clustered in well-defined and dense groups. Most likely, this does not reflect a design from the
Hallstatt period but rather the persistence of larger tumuli which were better able to resist human interference and natural erosion, or were protected from both by
129:
period around 800 BC, when hilltop settlements became common in continental Europe. Although the name "Burgstallkogel" (a generic German popular term for a hill fortification) suggests that historical knowledge of the hill persisted until the Middle Ages, very little was known to archaeological
220:
The excavations continued throughout World War I and into the 1930s. After a long lapse during World War II and the post-war era, they resumed in 1972. As is the case at all other well-known archaeological sites, modern professional grave robbers (many equipped with
199:
The "common citizen" tumuli of the Sulm valley necropolis (believed to have numbered in excess of 2,000 before agriculture destroyed most of them) surrounded the
Burgstallkogel settlement on all sides, and originally they covered much of the hill range between
205:
only be inferred from secondary deposits. Besides being larger than most other necropolises in the Eastern Hallstatt area, the Sulm valley necropolis is set apart by the fact that preserved non-aristocratic burials far outnumber the nobility's graves.
212:
The hill graves have been a natural part of the local population's environment for centuries, and were surrounded by much folklore. The first crude excavations date back to 1844, and some finds were on display during the 1873 World Exposition in
261:
early and badly documented digs yielded the famous small face mask with the pair of hands which subsequently became a symbol for the necropolis). A final and total excavation of this large tumulus, conducted in 1995 following thorough
217:. The first systematic scientific efforts were made by four officials: E. Pratobevera in 1856-1857, and RadimskĂ˝, Szombathy and Gurlitt between 1881 and 1883 on behalf of the Austro-Hungarian and Styrian Anthropological Societies.
225:
which have only very recently been outlawed in Austria) have since caused much damage through their unscientific efforts but have also made finds of some significance which found their way into the public domain.
465:
Kramer D: Aus der Ur- und Frühgeschichte der Landschaft zwischen Sulm und Saggau. Die Sulmtalnekropole. In: Riegler J (Ed.), Geschichte der Marktgemeinde Gleinstätten. Verlag Riegler, Hausmannstätten/Graz 2004.
486:
Dobiat C, Slonek W: Der Burgstallkogel bei Kleinklein I. Die Ausgrabungen der Jahre 1982 und 1984. Marburger Studien zur Vor- und Frühgeschichte. Frey O-H, Böhme HW and Dobiat C (Eds.), Rahden/Westfalen 1990.
130:
science until 1982-1984 when an exploratory dig established facts which led to significant improvements of our conception of the "Sulm Valley Subgroup" of the Eastern Hallstatt culture.
117:
296:
153:
In 2004, reconstructions of typical mid-Hallstatt period houses (a residential building, a granary and a bakery) were erected on the western slope of the hill employing
109:
times, and prospered from it. The community exchanged goods far into Italy and into the Balkans, and might have exploited the iron ore deposits that exist on the hill.
157:
methods. However, the findings from the digs offer no proof that these buildings resemble any actual situation at the Burgstallkogel settlement during this period.
476:
Egg M, Kramer D: Krieger – Feste – Totenopfer. Der letzte Hallstattfürst von Kleinklein in der Steiermark. Roman-Germanic Central Museum Mainz (Ed.), 2005.
278:
was opened in 1990. In 2004, a Hallstatt period residential building, granary and a bakery were reconstructed on the western slope of the Burgstallkogel.
70:. The hill hosted a significant settlement of trans-regional importance from 800 BC to about 600 BC. Surrounding the hill is one of the largest
284:
105:
and onward to the Hungarian plains. The settlement apparently controlled long-distance trade along this route, which had been in use since
17:
308:
532:
275:
253:
tombs. The cremation places have not been found, but are supposed to have been either near the grave site or near the hilltop.
249:
amounts of bronze vessels and iron armament in addition to pottery. It is assumed that the chieftains' tumuli were modeled on
502:
492:
320:
332:
173:
356:
344:
89:
The Burgstallkogel is prominently situated on a ridge that runs from east to west, straddling the southern banks of the
481:
471:
395:
386:
377:
497:
Smolnik R: Der Burgstallkogel bei Kleinklein. II. Die Keramik der vorgeschichtlichen Siedlung. LIT edition 1994.
418:
262:
222:
581:
237:
448:
576:
229:
There are also several flat graves in the Burgstallkogel area, which date back to the 10th century BC.
586:
571:
524:
154:
242:
189:
178:
250:
90:
47:
8:
453:
404:
519:
498:
488:
477:
467:
138:
98:
134:
126:
514:
71:
368:
201:
184:
63:
443:
121:
Situation sketch of the Burgstallkogel settlement and its associated necropolis
133:
Four cultural layers were identified containing pottery ranging from the late
565:
547:
534:
125:
The first significant habitation on the hill was established during the late
30:
302:
Reconstruction of Hallstatt-era buildings: House (left) and granary (right)
438:
74:
165:
428:
423:
145:
One of these fires destroyed a house containing the largest vertical
106:
433:
94:
55:
520:
Hallstatt period artefacts at the Eggenberg Palace museum, Graz
214:
78:
51:
34:
The Burgstallkogel from the West, as seen from the Georgenberg
77:
in continental Europe, originally composed of at least 2,000
146:
102:
59:
177:
Hallstatt period cuirasses & helmet from Kleinklein,
160:
169:
Hallstatt-era tumulus in the Sulm valley necropolis
101:, connecting to the southern parts of the basin of
525:Les Sepultures Princieres de Kleinklein (Egg 2021)
563:
46:) is a hill situated near the confluence of the
515:Hallstatt museum Grossklein website (English)
241:Bronze vases & situlas from Kleinklein,
232:
50:and the Saggau river valleys in Southern
314:Reconstruction of a Hallstatt-era bakery
236:
183:
172:
164:
42:(458 meters or 1563 feet; also known as
29:
326:Pottery from the Sulm valley necropolis
14:
564:
112:
290:Hallstatt culture museum, Grossklein
276:Hallstattzeitliches Museum GroĂźklein
161:The necropolis and its investigation
93:, on a trade route that crossed the
24:
116:
25:
598:
508:
403:
394:
385:
376:
367:
355:
343:
331:
319:
307:
295:
283:
188:Metal vessels from Kleinklein,
13:
1:
459:
350:Bronze hands from Kleinklein
84:
58:, about 30 km south of
18:Burgstallkogel (Sulm valley)
7:
412:
338:Bronze Mask from Kleinklein
263:geomagnetic and geoelectric
10:
603:
419:Hochdorf Chieftain's Grave
209:forest growing over them.
269:
155:experimental archaeology
548:46.747742°N 15.409527°E
362:Pot lid from Kleinklein
243:Eggenberg Palace museum
190:Eggenberg Palace museum
179:Eggenberg Palace museum
245:
233:The chieftains' graves
192:
181:
170:
122:
35:
240:
187:
176:
168:
120:
33:
553:46.747742; 15.409527
97:mountain range from
582:Landforms of Styria
544: /
246:
193:
182:
171:
123:
113:Settlement history
36:
577:Tumuli in Austria
503:978-3-8258-2286-6
493:978-3-89646-125-4
139:Hallstatt culture
16:(Redirected from
594:
587:Hills of Austria
572:Iron Age Austria
559:
558:
556:
555:
554:
549:
545:
542:
541:
540:
537:
407:
398:
389:
380:
371:
359:
347:
335:
323:
311:
299:
287:
135:Urnfield culture
127:Urnfield culture
21:
602:
601:
597:
596:
595:
593:
592:
591:
562:
561:
552:
550:
546:
543:
538:
535:
533:
531:
530:
511:
462:
454:La Tène culture
415:
408:
399:
390:
381:
372:
363:
360:
351:
348:
339:
336:
327:
324:
315:
312:
303:
300:
291:
288:
272:
235:
223:metal detectors
163:
115:
87:
28:
27:Hill in Austria
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
600:
590:
589:
584:
579:
574:
528:
527:
522:
517:
510:
509:External links
507:
506:
505:
495:
484:
474:
461:
458:
457:
456:
451:
446:
441:
436:
431:
426:
421:
414:
411:
410:
409:
402:
400:
393:
391:
384:
382:
375:
373:
366:
364:
361:
354:
352:
349:
342:
340:
337:
330:
328:
325:
318:
316:
313:
306:
304:
301:
294:
292:
289:
282:
271:
268:
234:
231:
162:
159:
114:
111:
86:
83:
40:Burgstallkogel
26:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
599:
588:
585:
583:
580:
578:
575:
573:
570:
569:
567:
560:
557:
526:
523:
521:
518:
516:
513:
512:
504:
500:
496:
494:
490:
485:
483:
482:3-88467-089-1
479:
475:
473:
472:3-901202-13-7
469:
464:
463:
455:
452:
450:
447:
445:
442:
440:
437:
435:
432:
430:
427:
425:
422:
420:
417:
416:
406:
401:
397:
392:
388:
383:
379:
374:
370:
365:
358:
353:
346:
341:
334:
329:
322:
317:
310:
305:
298:
293:
286:
281:
280:
279:
277:
267:
264:
259:
254:
252:
244:
239:
230:
227:
224:
218:
216:
210:
206:
203:
197:
196:the tumulus.
191:
186:
180:
175:
167:
158:
156:
151:
148:
143:
140:
136:
131:
128:
119:
110:
108:
104:
100:
96:
92:
82:
80:
76:
73:
69:
65:
61:
57:
53:
49:
45:
41:
32:
19:
529:
273:
257:
255:
247:
228:
219:
211:
207:
202:Gleinstätten
198:
194:
152:
144:
132:
124:
88:
75:necropolises
67:
64:Gleinstätten
43:
39:
37:
551: /
439:Hohenasperg
137:to the mid-
91:Sulm valley
566:Categories
539:15°24′34″E
536:46°44′52″N
460:References
258:Kröllkogel
68:Kleinklein
44:Grillkogel
449:Alte Burg
429:Heuneburg
424:Vix Grave
107:neolithic
99:Carinthia
85:Geography
434:Glauberg
413:See also
251:Etruscan
72:Iron Age
62:between
95:Koralpe
56:Austria
501:
491:
480:
470:
270:Museum
215:Vienna
79:tumuli
52:Styria
499:ISBN
489:ISBN
478:ISBN
468:ISBN
274:The
256:The
147:loom
103:Graz
66:and
60:Graz
48:Sulm
38:The
444:Ipf
54:in
568::
81:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.